Chronicles of a Legend Part III - The Return of a Legend
by Pinoko K
Summary: Part 3 of the trilogy. Shepard has voluntarily returned to the Alliance in order to warn them about the Reapers. No one believes her, until one day, her warning comes true. But it's all too late. Shepard has to join forces with old allies and new ones to fight the toughest battle of their lifetime. (AU setting, changes will be made throughout the story.)
1. Prologue

Chronicles of a Legend: The Return of a Legend. Part 3 of the trilogy. Shepard has voluntarily returned to the Alliance in order to warn them about the Reapers. No one believes her, until one day, her warning comes true. But it's all too late. Shepard has to join forces with old allies and new ones to fight the toughest battle of their lifetime.

A/N: From part 2 onward, it's an alternate universe setting, mainly due to Kaidan and Shepard's early reconciliation, and his involvement in the Collector mission. So part 3 will not follow the canon. You'll see the changes right from chapter one.

I don't have a beta reader, so please excuse any typos and mistakes. You can reach me at gmail – pinoko19, or tumblr – pinoko-k, or just leave a note here. Love to hear from you. Now, let's continue with the last part of Aerin Shepard's story.

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chronicles of a Legend

Part III: The Return of a Legend

Prologue

Year: 2186CE

Location: Alliance Headquarters, Vancouver

Six months.

For six months, Shepard had been wasting her time with endless interrogations in one form or another. Whether it was in a cold and uncomfortable interrogation room with an Internal Affairs officer, or a high-ceiling formal meeting hall with the brass in their dress blues, or a cozy office with plush armchairs and fresh-brewed hot coffee with the psychiatrist. They all asked the same questions, over and over again.

Shepard had enough of this nonsense.

"Commander." A gentle yet somewhat hypnotic voice guided Shepard out of her reverie, and back to the cozy office she was currently trapped in.

A quick glance at the clock told her she had twenty more minutes to go. Twenty minutes until she could get the hell out of here and head to the training arena. The daily session in the combat simulator was the only thing she looked forward to in the past few months. Her training partner was not bad, either. With all his muscles and his size, Lieutenant James Vega had proven to be quite fast and a decent shot. The kid had potential, too bad he was wasted as her glorified jail guard.

"How is your sleep lately?" asked the psychiatrist.

"Still not quite used to the bed, it's too soft for my taste. But comparing to some places I've slept, the detention center is a five-star hotel."

Unfazed by her deflection, Doctor Troy reworded the question patiently, "Do you still have nightmares?"

"Sometimes," Shepard admitted. There was no point in lying, not when every single minute of her life was closely monitored. Right now, they were probably studying her body language and her eye movements through hidden cameras and sensors.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

 _No._ But that wasn't an answer they wanted. "I dream about what I saw at the Collector base," said Shepard with her tone flat, her face emotionless. "About what happened on Virmire. About the attack on the Normandy. And... about dying."

"I see." The doctor glanced at the datapad on her lap. "What about the Reapers? You used to have dreams about them after Eden Prime."

More often lately than Shepard cared to admit. It was as though she could sense them getting closer and closer. A dreadful feeling so intense sometimes it suffocated her in her sleep. That, however, was not a detail Shepard was willing to share.

"Sometimes," Shepard repeated with the same vague answer. "I won't rest easy until the Reapers are defeated."

"Reapers," the doctor repeated as if testing the sound of that word. "The ship that attacked the Citadel..." She paused to look at her note. "Sovereign. That was a Reaper?"

"Yes. And Sovereign was not a ship. The Reapers, they're..." Shepard thought for a second, trying to explain without sounding crazy. The last thing she wanted was to give the brass the killer ammo to discredit her by labeling her as clinically insane. "...They are sentient beings. Sovereign is the vanguard of their army. They're here to destroy the galaxy by wiping every civilization off the map. Or worse."

"Worse?"

"Genetic mutation, turning an entire population into mindless slaves."

No matter how she phrased it, despite telling the truth, Shepard had to admit everything sounded like what she'd expected: Utterly insane.

The doctor wasn't at all disturbed by her statement, for everything was already listed from Shepard's previous testimonies. "And you know this because you talked to a Reaper."

"Yes," Shepard admitted for the thousandth time, to the IA, to the brass, and even while under oath. "On Virmire. I talked to Sovereign."

"You talked to a hologram in the form of Sovereign," Dr. Troy pointed out, reviewing the notes on her datapad. "Not face-to-face."

"Yes." She knew where this was heading. "And I know what you're going to say. It's not some sort of trick by Saren."

"It's possible, isn't it?" the doctor countered calmly. "A well-programmed VI to shift the blame from Saren himself to this... Reaper."

 _Not this shit again._ The Council had been insisting this song and dance for three years. That's even after they had been attacked by Sovereign itself.

Taking a sharp breath to suppress the fire in her belly, Shepard kept her composure and explained, "I know how this sounds like, but I'm not crazy, doctor. The Council knows the truth. They're suppressing it, burying data, making up lies to cover up the fact that they screwed up. If they'd listened to my warnings, they could have stopped Sovereign before it came anywhere close to the Citadel."

The doctor studied her with an unreadable expression for a moment. "I agree," said Doctor Troy eventually. "You are not crazy."

 _Good. That's a start..._

"You have displayed symptoms of PTSD," the doctor continued. "Post-traumatic stress disorder. Recurring nightmares of past events, constant fear that you or others are in danger, feeling helpless, that things are going out of control. Lost of appetite, lack of sleep, or perhaps even a sudden and unwarranted feeling of panic."

 _No. No. Goddammit! Not this!_

"What you have seen, what you have been through, it's enough to break anyone," said the doctor soothingly. "It's not uncommon to develop PTSD after facing traumatic events, even for an elite soldier like you. And it's definitely not uncommon for veterans to ignore their symptoms and suffer through them silently. There's treatment. It will take time, but you will-"

"We don't have time for this," Shepard cut her short. "The Reapers aren't going to wait for me to be reinstated before they invade."

"You don't have to shoulder all the responsibility, Commander. We have many capable soldiers. If there's a war, let them fight. You need to focus on your own well-being; that is the war only you can fight."

"No. I won't be sidelined! Not when I still draw a breath." Shepard shook her head with a scowl. "Sign me off, and I promise I'll start whatever treatment you want once the war is over."

"You are strong, Aerin. However, that doesn't mean you are unbreakable. As your doctor, it's my responsibility to see that you receive proper treatments in a timely manner. Your well-being is my first priority."

"If we don't win this war, my well-being won't even matter because we'll all be dead!"

"We cannot risk your health just because of the possibility of a war."

"It's not a possibility. It's a certainty." Shepard leaned forth and looked her straight in the eyes. "The Reapers are coming. And they _will_ annihilate us if we are not ready. We need all boots on the ground, all ships deployed. We have to fight, or die trying."

* * *

A/N: To those who have been following Aerin Shepard's story, welcome back. And to those who have just started reading this series, welcome aboard.

A tidbit since this is the last prologue in the series: When I wrote Shepard's shrink in all three prologues, I had Deanna Troi from Star Trek in mind.

Prologue and Chapter one are posted on the first update. Chapter two coming up soon. Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End

Year: 2185CE

Location: Dock, Nos Astra, Illium

" _Remember," said Shepard, giving the hand she had been holding a gentle squeeze, "we haven't seen each other since Horizon."_

" _Actually, since Citadel," Kaidan corrected her as they continued their way to the terminal where a shuttle to Earth was scheduled to depart in twenty minutes, "where you dropped me off after rescuing me from Horizon."_

" _Right. And you've been taking a well-deserved shore leave-"_

" _-here in the beautiful city of Nos Astra, attending the annual tech convention where I've my eyes set on the latest model of Savant, which will not be publicly released until the end of the year." Kaidan then turned to her with the most earnest look and recited, "'Serrice Council has certainly outdone themselves this year. I can hardly wait for my new omni-tool.'"_

" _Perfect. And here I thought lying wasn't your strong suit."_

" _I'm full of surprises," said Kaidan with half a smirk. "Lawson made sure I remembered every details before she let us go on our date last night."_

" _Of course she did." Miranda, her right hand woman, the best XO a captain could ever hope for._

" _I'll stick to the story no matter who asks. Even Anderson."_

" _Anderson knows better than to ask."_

 _The admiral had unofficially sanctioned Kaidan's involvement in her mission, turning a blind eye. In return, Anderson had demanded Kaidan's anonymity and his safe return. And now, it was time for him to go._

 _They stopped in front of the gate, but neither of them seemed ready to part._

" _Hey, remember last time we met in front of a gate?" asked Shepard._

 _He raised an eyebrow at her, amused. "How could I forget? You were half-dressed."_

" _I wasn't thinking. I just wanted to see you." A grin found its way on Shepard's face. Sprinting out of the Normandy in nothing but her tank top and shorts might not be her finest moment, but the reward was the greatest. "Glad you showed up that day. I can't imagine going through all these without you."_

" _And I'd hate myself if I didn't help you while you risked your life out there."_

" _But working with Cerberus... I know it's hard for you."_

" _Nah, I wasn't working with Cerberus. I was working with you." He became thoughtful for a brief moment. "You know, I've learned a lot. Things are never just black and white. Even with all the terrible things they have done, there are good people within Cerberus. Those in your crew, they are good. Misguided, maybe, but... good."_

" _I don't know about the rest of the Cerberus, but within the Lazarus cell, they are good and professional. They volunteered for the suicide mission because they wanted to protect their loved ones, to do something when no one else was willing to take any action."_

" _I talked to some of them. They signed up because they believed in you; they wanted to help you."_

" _Yeah, they put a lot of trust in me no matter what I did," said Shepard, nodding. "Opening Grunt's tank? Activating Legion? Can you imagine the amount of paperwork I'd have to file to get permission to do any of that, if we're flying under the Alliance flag?"_

" _You'd get nothing but 'Permission denied,'" Kaidan pointed out. "And Joker? He would properly be court-martialed for unshackling an AI."_

" _Exactly. Grunt turns out to be a good kid. EDI saved us all from the Collectors. And Legion..." Shepard shook her head with a faint smile, thinking of the most unlikely ally of all. "_ _If you'd told me two years ago that we would be friends with a Geth, I'd have called you crazy."_

 _Kaidan studied her before he asked, "Are you ready to go back to the Alliance?"_

 _That was a question she had been asking herself. "...I liked the freedom with Cerberus," Shepard admitted after a pause. "No rules, no regulations. You do what you want, just get things done. But I hated the strings attached. The Illusive Man and his lies. He used you as a bait, and put the entire colony in danger. Those colonists died because of him. That man is ruthless and dangerous. I kept my end of the bargain, and did what I was revived to do. That's it. I'm done with Cerberus."_

" _But I don't think he's not going to let you go that easily."_

" _You're right. He's not the type that takes rejections well."_

 _Kaidan frowned in concern. "Come back as soon as you can. Cerberus can't touch you when you're under Alliance protection."_

" _Out of the frying pan and into the fire." Shepard snorted. "I'm sure Internal Affairs will roll out their red carpet for me."_

" _I'll do everything I can to help."_

" _No, you won't," Shepard insisted firmly. "Stay out of this, Kaidan. I promised Anderson I'd keep you out of this mess. You have a new department to run."_

" _But-"_

" _I need you to recruit and train an army of biotics for the upcoming war. We are running out of time; the last thing I want is to have the IA going after you." Shepard then softened her tone before she continued, "Anderson will get me out. Don't worry."_

 _Even though he didn't argue, he looked anything but convinced._

" _I've survived through a horde of batarian slavers, an army of Geth, and a ship full of Collectors. I can handle the IA."_

 _Reaching out, Kaidan touched the side of her face gently. "Yeah, I know. That's what I love about you."_

I love you, too. _"You should get going."_

 _Reluctantly, he nodded. "Be careful out there. No one has ever seen the Shadow Broker. You are flying completely blind."_

" _They told me no one has ever been to Ilos, too, or make it back from Omega 4 Relay." She forced a smile for his sake. "I'm known to pull the impossible, Major."_

" _That, and much more..." He pressed his lips on hers, then pulled her in his arms one last time. "I'll see you soon."_

Soon...

* * *

Year: 2186CE

Location: Alliance Headquarters, Vancouver, Earth

"Commander."

Shepard turned to the voice and found herself looking at the back of a masculine man on the floor in the sitting area outside the psychiatrist office.

With a powerful shove, the man pushed himself off the floor where he had been doing impromptu push-ups. However weird it might seem, Shepard didn't even bat an eyelash. This wasn't the first time Lieutenant James Vega tried to squeeze in a few sets of push-ups or sit-ups when he had to wait for her. And it certainly wouldn't be the last. Even being stuck in a boring post as her guard, the lieutenant diligently kept up in his physically training. Shepard had to admire his work ethnic. If only all the young marines worked this hard.

"How's the meeting with the doc?" asked James, dusting his hands as he straightened up.

"The usual." Shepard shrugged. "The IA can't squeeze any more information from me in the interrogation room, so they stick me to a shrink and call it psychological evaluation."

"It's standard procedure for reinstatement, no?"

"That's the official explanation." Shepard headed for the exit. "Come on, it's time for our training session. I'll try not to win this time."

"Sorry, ma'am, we've to reschedule," James told her. "You have visitor."

Shepard raised an eyebrow at him. So far, only three people who had visited her: Anderson, Hackett, and her mother. Last she'd heard, Hackett was on the lunar base, and her mother's ship was not scheduled to return until next month.

"Anderson?"

"Right. The admiral just called. He wanted to see you after your session with the doc."

For her mentor, Shepard was willing to give up shooting holographic enemies. "Hope he has some good news. Lead the way."

It was a rare sunny day in a city known for its cloudy sky. Afternoon sunlight filtered through windows along the hallway as Shepard followed her guard to the meeting place. The warmth of the sun was inviting, Shepard glanced outside to a world she had been isolated to, and noticed several trees had turned into a soft shade of pink. Cherry blossoms.

Maple trees had just turned red the day she had turned herself in. And now it was already spring.

James made a turn and led Shepard into the reception hall. While the outside was peaceful, the inside of the building was anything but. The hall was full of officers and personnel, all coming and going with a sense of urgency. It was too busy for a normal afternoon. Shepard couldn't shake off an unwarranted sense of dread, however subtle it was.

"What's going on?" asked Shepard. "Why is everyone in such a hurry?"

"Don't know. But I've heard something-" Before he could elaborate, James stopped in the midst of the crowd and saluted. "Admiral, sir."

A rare but genuine smile found its way to Shepard's face when she saw an imposing man in dress blues stepped up. "Anderson."

Anderson's permanent scowl loosened up to mirror his protege's expression. "You look good, Shepard." The admiral took her hand for a firm shake, then gave her a teasing pat on her stomach. "Maybe a little soft around the edges."

"I thought a softer look might suit me."

"It does," said a familiar voice that sent a tingle down Shepard's spine.

Shepard froze as a man emerged from behind the admiral. A man she had not seen since that evening at the dock in Nos Astra.

"Commander," greeted Kaidan Alenko as he approached.

One step after another, he came closer, and didn't stop until he was standing right in front of her. For a second, the world around them faded away, and there were only the two of them. If she reached out, she could easily pull him in her arms...

"Major." Shepard finally found her voice and kept her tone cool. Yet, she couldn't stop the slight quiver in her stomach.

"It's been a long time."

 _I missed you, too._

Her face must have betrayed her, enough for James shot her a curious look.

 _Careful, Shepard._ Wiping any traces of emotions, Shepard turned her attention back to her mentor. "I don't suppose this is a social call."

"The defense committee wants to see you, Shepard," Anderson told her.

"Right now?"

"Yes. Now. The major and I are coming with you."

"What's going on?"

The two men shared a look before Anderson revealed, "Admiral Hackett is mobilizing the fleet. I'm guessing words made it to the Alliance command: Something big is heading out way."

Shepard scowled. "The Reapers?"

"We don't know. Not for certain."

The knot between her brows tightened. "What else could it be?"

"If I knew that. We lost contact with two of our deep space outposts." The admiral grimaced before he revealed, "There's something massive on long-range scanners."

 _Goddammit!_ "It's the Reapers!" Shepard insisted. "And you know we're not ready for them. Not by a long shot."

"How much time do we have?" asked Kaidan, frowning in concern.

"Not much," Anderson admitted. "Come on, Shepard, the committee is waiting."

Shepard, however, disagreed, "Unless we're planning to talk the Reapers to death, the committee is a waste of time!"

"They're just scared," Anderson reasoned. "You've faced down a Reaper. Hell, you spoke to one of them and blew that damn thing up! You know what they're capable of. But none of them has seen what you've seen. We've all reviewed your reports, seen the data you've collected. To us, it's all just theory."

"Kaidan was there with me," Shepard pointed out. "Even if they don't trust me, they should trust him. His track record is spotless!"

"You two were on the front line together," said Anderson. "Whose side do you think they expect Kaidan to be on?"

All the bitterness that had been bottling up inside her for the past six months, now threatened to explode.

"There are only two sides," Shepard argued. "The Reapers, and the rest of us. Why can't they see that? I came back to buy everyone enough time to be prepared for the inevitable. And what did they do instead? They took my ship and grounded me! We wasted six months, Anderson!"

"The shit you've done," Anderson snapped, "any other soldiers would've been trialed, court-martialed, and discharged. It's your knowledge of the Reapers that kept that from happening."

"I'm sorry, Anderson," Kaidan interrupted. "The some of the things Aerin has done might not sit well with the brass, but she saved the Citadel and the Council, and put a stop on human abductions. If we hadn't stopped Sovereign in time, we would have all been killed by the Reapers three years ago."

"I know, Kaidan. And so does the committee-"

Without warning, an ear-piercing, high-pitch noise rang inside Shepard's ears. Caught off guard by the sudden assault, Shepard shut her eyes in pain.

She felt a warm hand on her arm steadying her, then heard Kaidan ask, "Hey, what's wrong?"

Then came Anderson's gasp. "My god..."

The rare fear in the admiral's voice set off an instant alarm. Ignoring the intense headache, Shepard opened her eyes and looked outside the windows. Dark clouds rolled in unnaturally fast, covering the clear blue sky within seconds. A low, thunderous rumble followed, along with lightnings in a weird shade of red.

 _No..._

And then, through the thick, grey cloud, a giant bug-shaped creature descended from the sky, announcing the arrival of her nightmare. First of many.

And for the second time of the day, Shepard froze. _No... No. No! NO!_

The Reapers were here; it was too late, all too late. Shepard watched as one of them glided closer and closer to the Alliance Headquarters. Red hot molten beam cut down tall buildings standing in its way, aiming straight at the reception hall.

"Shit! Go! Go! GO!" Shepard ran away as quickly as she could.

The beam sliced through the building like hot knife through butter. An explosion of glass and concrete sent her flying and tumbling onto the shaking ground. The back of her head smacked hard onto the floor, blinding her instantly. Without her armor and shield, Aerin Shepard was merely flesh and blood. Despite the searing pain, Shepard struggled to open her eyes, but the hazy world around her rapidly darkened. Try as she might, she was unable to move. Not her feet, not even her fingers. Was this the end? After surviving a suicide mission, she was taken down by a single Reaper's beam?

 _Goddammit!_

Six months. Six freaking months. Time she should have spent on preparing for the inevitable. Instead, she had wasted six months here in these buildings, interrogated by the IA, scrutinized by the defense committee, questioned by a shrink.

She should have listened to Garrus and Miranda. She should have taken the Normandy and her crew to fight on her own. Then, perhaps, all these could have been avoided. But now...

 _I'm sorry..._

* * *

They were here.

The Reapers were finally here. Months of testifying in front of the Alliance tribunal and making a case to the Defense Committee had led to nothing but this. Kaidan should have felt angry, but all he could feel right now was pure shock.

The biotic barrier he had reflexively cast had shielded him from the explosion and rubble. Others might not be so lucky. Ears ringing, Kaidan got back on his feet and surveyed the damage. A huge chuck of wall had fallen, cutting this once beautiful reception hall into halves. There were bodies lying around, some hurt, some motionless, all had been taken surprised by the sudden attack. Among them was a woman lying on her back. Blood trickled from a gash on her temple, soaking her dark hair, and started to form a bright red pool on the dull grey floor.

Kaidan's stomach dropped.

"Aerin!" Kaidan called out as he rushed to Shepard and dropped to his knees by her side. Trembling fingers found a pulse. _Thank god..._ "Aerin," he tried again, shaking her shoulders gently this time.

As if awakened by his voice, Shepard stirred and groaned.

"Hey, are you all right?"

She cracked open one eye and saw him. "...Kaidan..."

"Shh. It's okay. I'm here," he coaxed, then pushed all his emotions aside and scanned for injuries.

Beside the visible cuts and scrapes, a quick scan with his omni-tool confirmed there was no broken bone, no spinal cord injury, but possible concussion. A minor miracle for someone without any shield or barrier.

The faint red glow underneath her open wounds reminded him it was more than lucky that had saved Shepard. Her implants did. All the upgrades Shepard had probably saved her today when a normal person would have been severely injured.

"...You okay?" Shepard asked despite her own predicament.

"Yeah. Managed to put up a barrier just in time."

"Good." Shepard tried to push herself up and winced. "Dammit..."

"Easy. You've hurt your head."

"I'm fine-" Her words ended with a gasp in pain.

"You're not." He helped her sit up. "Don't move, I'll get some medi-gel from the first-aid station nearby."

Shepard frowned at the blood on her own palm, then wiped it clean on her shirt. "Just a scratch."

"You said that every time. At least let me stop the bleeding." Ignoring her protest, Kaidan went for the first-aid kit and patched her up like he had done many times before. "Hold still. It might sting a bit..."

For a long moment, Shepard remained quiet while he cleansed and sealed her wounds. Her eyes rested on the carnage around them, her lips pressed thin.

She didn't say a word until he was done. And when she did, her voice was strangely weak, "...They are finally here." Bright blue eyes were oddly red and glassy as if she was on the verge of tears. Tears of frustration, exhaustion, and sadness. "I warned them, Kaidan. I warned them about the Reapers, goddammit! Why wouldn't they listen?"

"You did everything you could," he told her, brushing a few strands of hair off her cheek gently. "We can't change the past, Aerin, but we can fight back."

"Shepard! Alenko!" a voice called out from beyond the fallen wall that had divided the hall into halves.

"Anderson?" Kaidan answered.

"Kaidan!" said Anderson. "Where's Aerin?"

"I'm here!" Shepard yelled back, her commander mask had snapped back on as she staggered back on her feet. "We're okay."

"Vega's with me," said the admiral. "We'll go to the dock and raise the Normandy. Meet us there. Kaidan, tell Joker to get to the Normandy asap. "

"Understood," said Kaidan. "The exit to the dock is on your side. We have to take the long way around."

"We'll prepare the ship and wait for you," said the admiral. "Keep in contact."

Kaidan quickly made the call. _Come on, come on, pick up..._ "Joker? It's Kaidan."

A familiar voice came through his earpiece. "A little busy here, Alenko! You know, Reapers?"

"Get to the Normandy, asap."

"Hey, watch it!" the pilot screamed loudly although the rumbling noise in the background almost drowned his voice. "Don't grab my arms like that. My bones! Ahh! That hurts!"

"Joker! Can you hear me? Go to the Normandy. Now! Anderson's order."

"What? I just got out of the dock."

"Turn around. He wants to raise it."

"You're shitting me!"

"I'm not. Get the ship ready. We're heading your way."

The mere thought of flying the Normandy again was enough to flip a switch in the pilot's mind. The panic in Joker's voice was gone, replaced by familiar sarcasm. "A party? Sounds great! Nothing like a party when the world is burning! Say, I have some 'friends' with me, mind if I bring a plus-two?"

Then suddenly, Kaidan understood the situation. "Guards, huh? If you can't get rid of them, bring them. Let Anderson deal with them later."

"All right. See you at the party. Joker out."

When Kaidan turned his attention back to Shepard, he found her picking up two rifles from the dead guards. She mumbled her thanks to the fallen before tossing one of the guns to Kaidan with an expression he had seen too many times – Shepard was determined to fight till her last breath. "Let's go."

For a while, they walked in silence. While Shepard was lost in her own thoughts, Kaidan took a moment to place a few calls. Yet all calls ended in lost signal.

"Kaidan," Shepard started quietly. "Your parents. Are they in the city?"

"They left for the winery earlier this morning."

"Good. The Reapers will concentrate their attacks on the highly populated places first. So, as long as your parents remain outside the city, they should be safe."

He held onto that glimmer of hope. "I hope so. I've been trying to reach them, but couldn't get a connection."

"Try again once we get to the Normandy. EDI will help you connect." Shepard hesitated before she asked, "...They haven't done anything to EDI, have they?"

"The Normandy is still being retrofitted, but EDI remains untouched. As far as anyone knows, EDI is a VI."

"Can't believe Joker's plan works," Shepard mumbled to herself.

Broken steel beams had blocked their path. Kaidan mentally shoved all his worries away, and focused on their escape. Familiar warmth from his biotics flowed through his veins. Kaidan released his powers and lifted the debris up in the air to clear their path.

They ducked underneath the floating beams and rushed to the other side, only to find the hallway around the corner had completely collapsed.

"Dead end." Shepard scowled. "Let's find another way."

Kaidan pointed at the small office to their right. "Through the window. We have to walk outside the edge of the building."

"Better do it before the Reapers come back for a second round of attack." Without hesitation, Shepard took the lead and climbed out.

It wasn't until they were outside that they finally witnessed the extent of the damage throughout the city. Multiple Reapers had landed, each of them hovered over an area, systematically and indiscriminately attacking everything in sight. From homes to schools, from shops to parks.

"My god..." Shepard breathed while Kaidan could only stared in dead silence.

The destruction of his hometown hit him like a ton of bricks. Kaidan froze in his tracks; he wanted to look away from the attacks but he couldn't. Blood ran cold as he saw smoke and fire raising from the familiar landmarks. Robson Square over there, Stanley park further down, English Bay on one side, Vancouver Harbor on the other. One by one, buildings in downtown crumbled like they were nothing but sand sculptures. The city he grew up in, the home he always loved to come back to, was now thoroughly destroyed.

This could not be real.

"Kaidan? Kaidan!"

He turned to the sound of his name blankly. Despite the urgency of the situation, despite years of experience, despite his well-honed discipline, it took Kaidan a few seconds to snap out of shell shock.

"Hey, listen to me," urged Shepard. "Whatever happens, I'm here."

He felt a warm hand on his, and instinctively held onto it as if his life depended on it.

"I promise you," Shepard continued, blue eyes staring into his were bright despite the darkened sky, "I'll make the Reapers pay for what they've done. We will send those bastards back to hell. And we will rebuild everything we have lost. Together."

Together. He was not alone in this. All was not lost, he still had Aerin. If there was someone who could pull the impossible, it's Commander Shepard.

"And after that," she added, her tone softened just a tab, "you will take me to the winery. You promised me a trip there three years ago."

"...I did." _After Sovereign was down. In bed during shore leave..._ He would never forget the peaceful smile on Shepard's face when she was lying next to him. He'd lost her soon after that day. But here she was once again, her hand in his was as warm as ever. Warm and alive.

However grim the present was, there's always the future.

"And I will," he vowed, taking it as seriously as any other oath he had sworn. For it was more than just a trip, it's a promise to fight until the end, to live and rebuild. A vow that no matter what, he would not leave her side, nor would she abandon him.

"Good. Don't you dare break that promise."

He heard her, those words unsaid. He heard her loud and clear. _I love you, too._

"Come on, Major. Let's get to the Normandy. We have a war to fight."

* * *

A/N: As promised, AU right from the start. I will make more changes to the story here in part 3 than I did in part 2. Stay tune.

Flashback is a scene I purposely skipped in part 2 ending, because I wanted to end their arc on a high note (on a date, talking about their future (marriage and babyShep)). The flashback is here for those who haven't read the previous stories, to remind you of the changes in Shepard/Kaidan relationship from the canon.

Thanks for reading. And especially thank you for those who have been reading all along! You are the reason why I keep writing for the past two years.

Contact info: gmail – pinoko19, tumblr – pinoko-k.


	3. Chapter 2: Those We Left Behind

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chapter 2: Those We Left Behind

Year: 2186CE

Location: Spaceport, Alliance Headquarters, Vancouver, Earth

The ship docked at the spaceport was once her home. Yet, Shepard almost didn't recognize it at first glance.

The Normandy had a new coat of paint. Black and golden accent colors were replaced by blue and black. Cerberus hexagon insignia was gone, the System Alliance seal was now proudly displayed on the side of the ship.

Normandy SR-2 was now officially SSV Normandy SR-2. The ship wasn't hers anymore.

"Shepard! Alenko! Over here," Anderson called out by the gate. "Vega, retreat."

"Yes, sir," said James, who had been patrolling the area with a rifle. The young man gave Shepard a nod before boarding the ship.

"Glad you made it," said the admiral. "Come on, let's get moving. Joker is preparing for takeoff."

"What's the status?" asked Shepard as they followed Anderson through the short jetway.

"Colonies have gone dark," Anderson told them. "We've lost contact with everything beyond the Sol Relay. Even the lunar base."

Shepard frowned. "Have you heard from Admiral Hackett?"

Anderson shook his head. They stepped through the airlock of the Normandy and boarded the ship. Despite being away for half a year, this felt all too familiar to Shepard, as if she was returning home from a long trip.

"Hey there, Commander," said a familiar voice from the cockpit. The pilot seat twirled around. Sitting on his 'throne' was none other than Jeff Moreau, who flashed a tiny smirk despite the situation they were in. "I knew someone would spring you sooner or later, just never thought it's the Reaper."

"Joker," Shepard greeted. "Good to see you again."

A beep from the console stole the pilot's attention. Joker's casual demeanor suddenly shifted to a professional one. "Sir, we've received a visual from UK headquarters."

"Put it on screen," Anderson ordered.

The footage was fuzzy at best. But the unique shape of that giant creature looming in the sky was unmistakable. It was a Reaper. The desperation on the face of the soldier who had sent this distress call, as well as the screams from the panic victims around, all etched onto Shepard's mind. London was suffering the same fate as Vancouver.

Historical buildings that had been carefully preserved for centuries were now crumbled in piles of stones. Shepard had seen this before. Somewhere... A sharp pain on her temple blinded her all of a sudden. Then she remembered. The Protheans from her visions, the destruction of the most advanced civilization millenniums ago. It had happened before, and it was happening again.

"God! I can't believe we let this happen," said Anderson as he watched his hometown being destroyed.

"We didn't," said Shepard. "The politicians could take the blame for this one."

It'd been three years since their first contact with a Reaper. Sovereign had caught them off guard then. But this time... there was no excuse. With all the time the Alliance had to get ready for war, they had done absolutely nothing. Their inaction had cost too many lives today, and many more to come in the following days and weeks, perhaps even months. That was unforgivable.

"I should have tried harder." The admiral grimaced, staring at the now-blank screen as the vid came to an end. "I let you down, Shepard. I let us all down."

"Bullshit!" Shepard snapped. "How many times have we talked to the defense committee? We showed them the evidence, but they chose to ignore the obvious and bury their heads in the sand. This one is one them, Anderson. Not you."

"Now is not the time to put the blame on anyone," said Kaidan. "We have to come up with a plan before this gets worse."

"You're right. So much destruction..." Anderson shook his head as he switched off the screen. "Every minute these machines are here, thousands of people die. This makes the First Contact War look like a schoolyard brawl."

"So what's our next move?" Shepard asked.

"You need to to Citadel," the admiral told her. "Talk to the Council."

Shepard frowned in confusion. "The Citadel? But the fight is here."

"It'll be everywhere soon enough," said Anderson. "You said it yourself... the Reapers will destroy everything if we don't stop them. The Council has to help us."

"You think they'd finally listen to me after all these years?"

"Then make them listen! You are a Council Spectre, that has to count for something."

"In case you forgot, I'm not exactly their favorite," Shepard pointed out. "You, on the other hand... You're the first human Councilor, they have to listen to you."

Anderson gave her a long look before he said, "I'm staying behind."

"What?" Shepard scowled. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm not leaving."

Shepard couldn't believe what she'd just heard. "The hell you're not! We're in this fight together!"

"You saw the mess out there! Husks and god-knows-what abominations are running around the city. Trained soldiers are scattered around like a bunch lost kids. They need a leader, Shepard!"

"You can't fight the Reapers with what we have on Earth! Evacuate as many as we can asap."

"There are millions out there. There's no way to get everyone out."

"We need a tactical retreat and regroup! We need to unite the galaxy to fight the Reapers, that's our only chance. Staying on Earth is a death sentence, Anderson. You are going to die!"

"You are a Spectre. Your war is out there protecting the galaxy. Mine is here on Earth as an Alliance soldier."

"No!" Shepard refused. Absolutely, positively refused. "No way I'm leaving you behind, Anderson. No!"

"You are, and you will," said the admiral firmly. "This is an order."

"I don't take orders from you anymore, remember?"

Anderson fished out something from his pocket and tossed it to Shepard, who caught it without thinking.

Lying in her hand was a chain was two tags dangling at the end – tags that had been with her through thick and thin. After more than a decade of wear and tear, the once polished silver plates were now scratched. Battle scars, very much like the ones she had on her body.

"Consider yourself reinstated, Commander."

Like everything else, her reinstatement came with a price. As a soldier, she had to follow orders from her superior officers, regardless of her personal feelings.

 _Don't do this to me. Don't..._

"You have your orders, Commander," said Anderson. "The ship is yours. You know what you have to do."

"Admiral," Kaidan spoke up. "Let me help you."

 _What? Not you too._

"My students are all nearby," Kaidan continued as Shepard stared at him in disbelief. "They are well-trained and ready to fight. I can organize a ground force within an hour. Two, tops."

"No," said Anderson decisively. "I'll locate your spec ops team and put them to use. Your place is here with the commander. She needs someone she can count on. Do whatever it takes to get the Council on board, Major, and that's an order."

"...Yes, sir."

"We can't win this without help," the admiral continued. "We need all the species, and every single one of their ship to have a chance in this war."

"Commander," Joker called out. "Got an emergency transmission from Admiral Hackett for you. Patching it through."

"Shepard- sustain heavy losses- force overwhelming- No way we can defeat them conventionally. We need you to- outpost on Mars. -lose control of the system. -been researching the Prothean archives with Doctor T'Soni. We've found a way to stop the Reapers. The only way to stop them. -contact soon. Hackett out."

"Mars?" Shepard turned to Anderson. "What's on Mars?"

"I don't have the details," said Anderson. "Admiral Hackett took your advice and contacted Doctor T'Soni for help. They have been researching the Prothean Archive on Mars. Guess they've finally found something."

"We've known about the Archives for decades," said Shepard. "And we just found out about this?"

"Took those scientist decades to decipher the data in the Archives, and they have only scratch the surface. Besides, we didn't know about the Reapers until recently. Head to Mars. Find out what's happening there. If they've found something powerful enough to destroy the Reapers, secure the weapon, or whatever the hell it is."

"Joker, you heard the man," said Shepard. "Set a course to the Mars archives."

"Roger that."

"I know you'll do everything in your power to stop these things." Anderson gave her a long look. "Good luck out there, Aerin."

To hell with protocols, Shepard threw her arms around the man who had been a father to her. "Just... stay alive. I'll be back for you, and bring every fleet I can. I promise."

The hands on her back were firm and protective, very much like the man himself. "I know you will." The admiral then stepped away and turned to the major. "Watch over her, Kaidan."

"I will." Kaidan gave the older man a salute. "Be careful, sir."

With a faint rare smile and a firm nod, Anderson patted them both on the shoulders, then turned to leave.

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, Bridge

Kaidan once again found himself in the co-pilot seat of the Normandy. The SR-2 had been retrofitted to meet the Alliance regulations, which included adding a co-pilot seat in the cockpit – a mandatory yet unnecessary addition. From what Joker had told him, with a fully self-aware, unshackled AI in control of every system, the ship could fly itself if need be.

Next to him, Joker seemed right at home at the pilot seat, flying the ship at long last after being grounded for six months.

"All systems. Green light." The pilot's fingers danced on the consoles so fast as if every move was purely from muscle memory. "Ready to go, Commander."

"Let's go," Shepard ordered.

The Normandy lifted off and soared into the sky. Seconds later, the entire city of Vancouver came into view. Much to Kaidan's horror, a Reaper had descended and latched onto the ground near his apartment. The park he passed by everyday was now all but gone. The coffee shop Shepard loved was on fire. Further down along English Bay, houses remained unscathed for now, but it'd be a matter of time until his parents' home got destroyed.

There was nothing he could do. Absolutely nothing. Kaidan felt sick to his stomach as he helplessly watched the Reapers tore his town apart. Hundreds and thousands were injured or dead, and yet, somehow, he was safe and on his way out of this nightmare. This felt terribly wrong.

"Oh shit." Joker's mumble brought Kaidan out of his reverie.

An Alliance cruiser flew by the Normandy, heading straight to a Reaper at downtown. One lone ship against a creature as tall as a building. Without backup, this was nothing but a suicide mission. Still, the cruiser gave it all and fired at the giant bug-like creature. However brave it was, the attack was all but futile. The red molten beam from the Reaper shifted and swept towards the much smaller ship.

"They're going to take down the cruiser!" warned Kaidan. "Look out!"

A second later, the cruiser exploded in a massive blinding blast.

"Evasive maneuver!" Joker barely managed to avoid the explosion.

The turbulence almost knocked Shepard off her feet. "What's wrong with our shield?"

"The ship's not ready, Commander," said the pilot. "Shield's at ten percent, and weapons are down. We're lucky we can fly."

"Get us out of here before they see us."

"That's the plan."

"What the hell have they done to my ship?" Shepard mumbled to herself with a scowl. "I'll check out the CIC. Call me if you need me."

"Watch out for the wires," Joker called over his shoulder.

The ship ascended rapidly, giving Kaidan a good look at the cities around. Damage had spread to Burnaby and down to Richmond. No doubt soon enough the Reapers would move onto Surrey and Coquitlam. What gave him a touch of comfort was the green area inland, where his family orchard was located. Perhaps Shepard was right, as long as his parents remained outside the city, they should be safe for now.

"Shit, look at that," said Joker, looking at the destruction below. "This is what happens when you don't listen to Shepard."

The Normandy cut smoothly through the atmosphere, leaving the blue planet behind.

"It feels wrong leaving Earth," said Kaidan.

"Yeah. But if we don't go get help, we're all gonna die. You saw that cruiser. Poor bastards..."

"Took the entire Fifth fleet to take down one Reaper. We have at least six down there."

"What do you think our chances are?" asked the pilot after a thoughtful pause.

 _Slim to none._ But instead, Kaidan answered, "I don't know. But as long as there's a chance, we have to fight. And if what Hackett said is true, we have found a weapon to destroy the Reapers."

"Guess we are really that desperate, huh?" Joker snorted. "Placing all our bets on a super secret Prothean weapon. I mean, really? If the Protheans had the weapon, why didn't they use it?"

EDI chimed in, "It is possible the Protheans lacked the resources to build such weapon."

"Pfft, this doesn't feel right," said Joker. "Call me paranoid, but a solution right under our nose? Seems too good to be true."

"We'll find out soon enough."

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, CIC

The Normandy SR-2. Of all the ships she had been on, this was the one Shepard had the strongest attachment to. And to see the once spotless ship turned into this...

Shepard scowled in dismay at the condition of her ship.

The once well-lit hall was now dim, some of the lights were off, some yet to be installed. Panels along the hallway had been taken out during retrofit. Some had been put back on, but more than a few of them were on the floor, leaving cables and wires lined along the hull exposed. Appearances aside, it was dangerous. One accidental tug on the cable could bring down a system somewhere on the ship.

The CIC was empty except for one crew member trying her best to tidy things up. The once busy ship was now a ghost town, running with less than a skeleton crew. The Normandy was not ready to fly. Yet, she had no choice but to take off. In some ways, the ship reminded Shepard of herself. Of her rude awakening on the cold operating table a year ago. Not quite recovered yet thrust right into battles.

The young woman who had been busy with some cables finally noticed Shepard and approached. "Commander Shepard?" The woman saluted and introduced herself, "I'm Comm Specialist Samantha Traynor, with Alliance R&D. I was part of the team retrofitting the Normandy after you turned it over to the Alliance."

 _So you did this to my ship_ , Shepard almost wanted to say but held her tongue. No need to lash out at the poor woman when she was only following orders.

Traynor took Shepard's silence as a permission to speak freely, and continued, "There weren't many of us aboard when the Reapers hit..."

The amount of crew members was not Shepard's immediate concern. With EDI and Joker at helm, the ship could fly with a minimal crew. The current condition though...

Frowning, Shepard cast a glance at the half-finished CIC. "I need the Normandy functional. What exactly have you done to my ship?"

"We upgraded communications and removed most of the Cerberus tech, Commander. The ship's in line with Alliance regs now, and it has new top-of-line quantum entanglement communicators. In fact, Admiral Anderson had intended to use the Normandy as his mobile command center."

 _Of course he had._ She had taken the SR-1 from Anderson, it was only fair for the man to resume command of the SR-2. Alas...

"That's no longer an option," said Shepard, her voice controlled yet cool.

"Yes, I heard he chose to stay and fight..."

 _I should have stay with him_. Shepard didn't reply.

"I-In any event, I'm honored to serve under you, Commander. Shall I give you a tour? I think you'll be impressed by the new upgrades."

"No time for that. I need to suit up for Mars," said Shepard, marching to the armory by the CIC, only to find the door had been blocked. _What the hell?_

"The armory has been relocated," Traynor told her quickly. "It's now on deck five by the shuttle bay. Also, Admiral Anderson had ordered all your personal belongings to be packed and stored on the ship. I think he'd anticipated your return, Commander."

To go on mission with her mentor once again... "Thank you, Specialist. That will be all."

Shepard hurried into the elevator before she lost her composure. With the door sealed, Shepard released a heavy breath and slumped against the wall. Finally, a moment alone to process everything that had happened. The attack, the reinstatement, and then, the departure.

An hour ago, she had been trapped in the psychiatrist's office. Now, she was back on the Normandy.

 _I'll be back for you, Anderson. Hang in there._

First thing first.

"EDI," Shepard called out, "how's the Normandy?"

"The shield and weapons are not functioning at optimal capacity," the AI replied. "Some of our systems require further testing. However, it is safe to travel."

"Until a Reaper shows up and starts to attack."

"Correct."

"We'll have you fixed at the Citadel."

"Meanwhile, I will try not to forget to recycle the Normandy's oxygen." EDI paused for dramatic effect. "That was a joke."

"You're sounding more and more like Joker." Shepard looked into the camera within the elevator. "It's good to hear your voice again, EDI."

"I am happy to see you, Shepard," said EDI, almost human-like. "Jeff and I have this message for you: Welcome home, Commander."

* * *

A/N: Off they go. To answer one guest review: Yes, there will be more Miranda than ME3. You will see her sooner than you expect.

Thanks for reading! And thanks for leaving review, I appreciate it.

Contact info: gmail – pinoko19, tumblr – pinoko-k.


	4. Chapter 3: Mars

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chapter 3: Mars

Year: 2186CE

Location: Mars Archives, Exterior

"I've been trying to reach the facility on secure channel," said Joker through the radio. "No one's answering."

"The base appears to be offline," EDI added. "It's possible the habitats have evacuated."

"Or killed by Cerberus." Shepard looked at the dead enemies on the ground with a frown. There was no mistake; the hexagon insignia on the fallen trooper's armor was Cerberus.

"Cerberus?" said the pilot. "What are they doing here on Mars?"

"Good question... We found them executing Alliance soldiers outside the Archives. Be ready anything, Joker."

"Roger that. Normandy out."

"Doesn't look like they came here in force," Kaidan commented after a brief survey of the area. "They might have help from the inside."

Only a few vehicles parked outside the Archives. Shepard agreed with the assessment. "They'd need a lot more men and firepower to take this place otherwise."

"Commander," Steve Cortez called from the kodiak shuttle. "A massive storm heading our way. We have less than half hour before it hits. After that we'll have difficulty keeping up comms with the Normandy."

"Copy that. Cerberus is here, Lieutenant. Be on a lookout."

"Yes ma'am. Good luck."

* * *

Location: Mars Archives, Lower Level

The elevator came to a stop. Shepard glanced around the area, and saw nothing but crates of all sizes.

"Looks empty-" James' words were cut short by a sudden noise.

Guns drawn, the three marines took cover as a series of rapid low thumps echoed through the air duct above them. _Footsteps._ Shepard's gaze followed the sound as it traveled through the ceiling. Then, she heard gunshots. Someone was being chased.

"Survivor?" Kaidan deduced.

"Possible," said Shepard.

After several urgent thumps, the cover of the vent dropped down onto the ground, followed by a figure who landed in a parkour roll. An asari in white lab coat. When she got back on her feet, Shepard caught a glimpse of her face.

 _Liara?_

Before either Shepard could react, two Cerberus troopers jumped down from the vent. Glowing instantly, Liara whipped around and lifted the two men up in the air with her biotic. With her enemies temporarily disabled, the former archaeologist pulled out a pistol and fired. Injured but not yet dead, the men dropped onto the floor and groaned in pain. Liara approached, then chillingly planted a bullet in each head, pointblank.

"Holy shit," James whispered a bit too loud. Startled, Liara turned to their direction, her body glowed blindingly bright. The lieutenant's rifle raised, but Shepard put a hand on it.

"Easy there, Lieutenant. She's with us," Shepard told James, then stepped out of their cover.

"That's Doctor T'Soni," Kaidan told the younger man.

" _That's_ the doc?" mumbled James.

Both her biotic glow and her icy demeanor dropped the moment Liara saw Shepard.

"Aerin!" Liara gasped and hurried to Shepard. "Thank the goddess you are alive! I was so worried when the reports came in."

"We managed to escape," Shepard replied. "The others though..."

"Kaidan." Liara turned to her old friend. "I'm... sorry about Earth."

"Yeah... It was difficult to leave like that," said Kaidan. "But we have to."

Shepard added, "We are going to the Citadel to ask the Council for help."

"I see..." Liara then asked, "Then why'd you come here?"

"Hackett ordered us to come," said Shepard. "Said you've found a weapon to stop the Reapers."

"It's not a weapon," Liara clarified. "Not yet. It's plans for a device. A blueprint. One that could wipe out the Reapers." She led the way down the hall. "Hackett contacted me, asked me if I would use my resources as-" she paused and flickered a glance at James before she continued, "information broker to find a way to stop the Reapers. My search led me here. The Archives are full of data. An overwhelming amount. I think I've found what we need."

"What have you discovered?" Shepard asked.

"Bits and pieces, really. Clues," said Liara as she stopped by a window, looking at the other part of the facility. "It took the Reapers centuries to conquer the Protheans. In that time, the few Prothean survivors searched desperately for a way to stop the Reapers. If my translations are correct, they've found a way. But in the end, they didn't have the resources to follow through with their plan."

"Where's this blueprint?" said Kaidan.

"In the Archives, across that tramway." Liara pointed at a structure at the far end. "I was on my way to retrieve it when the Cerberus troops found me."

"What are they after?" asked James. "They seemed hell-bent on catching you."

"They want what I'm here for..." Liara told them. "What we're all here for."

"The blueprint." Shepard scowled. "We need to get it before the Illusive Man gets his hands on it. Let's go."

* * *

Location: Prothean Archives Chamber

"This is it," said Liara.

A huge Prothean artifact was sealed in the middle of this circular chamber. With blue glow shimmering along the groves on the flat, dull grey surface, the relic looked more like a boring sculpture than an ancient device that held the key to defeating the Reapers.

But Shepard knew better than to question her friend's expertise. No one knew about Protheans better than Doctor Liara T'Soni.

"That's the blueprint?" asked James.

"The device contains data for the blueprint," Liara explained. "Think of it as their data disk."

"How the hell do you extract data from that?" the lieutenant wondered aloud.

"Don't get her started," Kaidan advised, "It could take days to explain."

"Weeks," Shepard quipped under her breath.

"It's not something I can explain in a short conversation," Liara told the lieutenant. "If you're interested-"

"Nah," said James immediately. "I'm good, Doc."

The path in front of them split in three. One to the right, one to the left, both hugged the perimeter of the circular chamber. In the middle was a short bridge that led to the relic and a series of consoles. With the guards outside already disposed, the chamber seemed empty, but they couldn't be too careful.

"Secure the area," said Shepard. "I'll stay with Liara."

Kaidan took the right path while James headed left. After casting another cautious glance behind, Shepard followed Liara across the short bridge.

"Give me a minute," said Liara as she logged in to download the data.

With her rifle in her hands, Shepard studied the device in front of her. If the Prothean weapon could truly kill the Reapers once and for all, then there was hope for victory. If they could build the weapon fast enough before the Reapers annihilated Earth. If Anderson could stay alive until she returned. If...

"Shepard," she heard a voice called. It was someone Shepard thought she'd never hear from ever again.

Shepard turned to see a holographic image of a man in tailored suit materialized on a pad nearby. "Illusive Man."

"Fascinating race, the Protheans," said the Illusive Man in a conversational tone as if he was chatting with an old friend. "They left this all for us to discover, but we've squandered it. The Alliance has known about the Archives for more than thirty years, and what have they done with it?"

Shepard took a step closer with a scowl. "What do you want?"

"What I've always wanted. The data in these artifacts holds the key to solving the Reaper threat."

"Then we want the same thing. Work with me. Give me control of your resources, and I'll defeat them."

The Illusive Man shook his head. "Doubtful. You'd do better than most, but the odds aren't in your favor. More importantly, I don't want the Reapers destroyed."

Shepard stared at him in disbelief. "What the hell are you talking about? If we don't destroy the Reapers, we'll all be killed!"

"That's what separates us, Shepard. Where you see a means to destroy, I see a way to control – to dominate and harness the Reapers' power. Imagine how strong humanity would be if we controlled them."

"You can't be serious..."

"We can dominate them," the Illusive Man claimed, "use their power, harness their very essence to bring humanity to the apex of evolution."

Shepard frowned. "Earth is under siege, and you're hatching a scheme to control the Reapers?"

"You've always been shortsighted," the man chided. "Hasty. Your destruction of the Collector base proved that."

"That base was an abomination! Hundreds of thousands of humans were murdered there."

"And all their lives were wasted because you couldn't stomach a hard decision."

"I'd do it again if I had to!"

"I don't expect you to understand, and I'm certainly not looking for your approval. This isn't your fight any longer, Shepard. You can't defeat the Reapers, even with the Prothean data."

"I can, and I will." Shepard pointed a finger at the device behind her. "With that data, I'll rid the galaxy of those machines once and for all."

"Your vision is pathetically limited," said the Illusive Man with a snort. "You were a tool, an agent with a singular purpose. And despite our differences, you're relatively successful. But like the rest of the relics in this place, your time is over. Don't interfere with my plan, Shepard. I won't warn you again."

"Aerin!" said Liara. "The data. It's being erased!"

Shepard hurried to the console. "What?"

Liara frantically typed on the console. "Someone's uploading the information-"

"Hey! You!" Shepard heard James yelling from afar. "Step away from the console! Now!"

Tracing Vega's location by his voice, Shepard saw a woman running away from the lieutenant.

"Doctor Core?" said Liara.

"She's got the data!" shouted James as he gave chase.

"Goddammit!" Shepard ran to intercept, but Doctor Core was faster than she looked. The woman dashed out of the chamber with Shepard and her team chasing closely behind. "Stop or I'll shoot!"

Doctor Core didn't heed the warning. Instead, she dropped a few rounds of plasma explosives behind her and detonated them. Cursing, Shepard dodged and drew her weapon.

Wearing not an armor but a skin-tight jumpsuit, it shouldn't take more than a few shots to bring the woman down. Yet, much to Shepard's surprise and dismay, bullets didn't even scratch Core. Not one bit. Either she had one hell of a biotic barrier, or...

Shepard didn't have time to think. They chased her out of the facility and headed right into the storm. The strong wind almost pushed Shepard off her feet, but she managed to keep running against the gust.

"Cortez!" Shepard called as she followed the woman up a ladder. "Do you read me?"

"-Barely," said the lieutenant.

"Cerberus has the data! Radio the Normandy. Get them down now!"

"I see a Cerberus shuttle!" warned Kaidan.

 _Shit!_

"Don't let her get away!" said Liara.

Both biotics had tried various attacks to stop their target. Yet, like bullets, nothing caused more than a slight stumble. The woman seemed to be running faster and faster without losing a bit of stamina.

"Dammit, she's fast," said James. "What _is_ she? Superhuman?"

Shepard followed Core up another ladder and reached a landing zone. Shepard chased the woman to the other side of the rooftop. There was nowhere left to run but a deadly drop to the ground far below. Just when Shepard thought it was finally over, a Cerberus shuttle fast approached with the door wide opened.

 _No, no, no!_

The woman leaped and jumped into the shuttle, which quickly ascended out of reach before Shepard could follow.

"She's getting away!" Shepard yelled. "Cortez, stop her!"

"Smash it!" shouted James.

Then, suddenly, their blue kodiak zoomed in and crashed onto the side of the Cerberus one. Shepard barely managed to jump out of the harm's way when the white shuttle flipped and crash-landed near her, all aflame and destroyed. Panting hard from the chase, Shepard pushed herself off the ground and looked at the burning wreck. No one could possibly survive that, not even a superhuman.

Their own shuttle circled back and landed on the clear area of the landing zone. Shepard finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Normandy's en route, Commander," Steve told her when he joined the ground team. "They'll be here soon."

"Nice work, Lieutenant," said Shepard.

James gave the pilot a hearty pat on the back. "I knew you had it in you, Esteban."

"Can't believe I did this," said Steve quietly to himself as he checked out the damage on their kodiak.

Shepard then turned to Liara and asked, "Who the hell was she?"

"Doctor Eva Core," Liara told them. "She got here about a week ago. I should have realized something's off with her."

"That's an understatement," Kaidan commented. "She didn't even need a helmet on surface."

"Whoever she is, she's dead now," said Shepard. "Let's get the data."

All of a sudden, a loud bang came from the crashed shuttle. Sharing a look, Shepard and Kaidan approached with their weapons drawn. Before they were halfway to the burning vehicle, the broken door flew off its hinges. Standing among the flame was Eva Core, all charred from head to toes, yet very much alive. Her clothes and skin had been burned to nothing, all that remained was a metal body.

"Holy shit," said James. "What _is_ she?"

Eva Core didn't need oxygen because she wasn't even a human.

"Don't let her get away!" Shepard aimed at the silhouette in the flame and fired.

Just like before, bullets bounced off the body. Although this time, Core had no intention of escaping. Instead, she charged right at them.

Kaidan's body glowed in a flash and fired a biotic attack, slamming the woman back onto the burning shuttle. What could have easily killed a human was nothing but inconvenience for Core, who leaped back on her feet.

To Shepard's horror and dismay, Eva Core wasn't just a robot, but an indestructible one...

No. Even Reapers could be killed.

If bullets and biotics couldn't stop her, perhaps being headless might.

With a twist of her wrist, a long sharp blade sprang to life from Shepard's omni-tool. Core charged again, but this time, Shepard met her halfway with her omni-blade raised.

 _Off with your head!_

Shepard was fast, but her opponent was faster. One of Core's hands blocked her arm and the blade, the other went for her throat and lifted her off the ground with ease. Shepard struggled to break free, smashing Core with the butt of her rifle with enough force to crack a human skull. But it didn't even dent the surface.

"Aerin!"

"Let her go!"

Bullets from her team hit Core. Still, the robot remained unfazed as she held Shepard up by her neck with one hand, then tapped onto her earpiece and asked in an oddly feminine voice, "Orders?"

Trying as hard as she could to break free, Shepard heard the Illusive Man's reply, "Finish her."

 _Shit!_ It was now or never. Shepard's omni-blade raised again with the full intention of chopping off the arm that was holding her, but Core was too fast. She swung Shepard around as if she was holding a rag doll, then smashed her head onto the side of the burning shuttle.

Once.

Despite the protection of her armor and shield, pain shot through all her body. Shepard's arms went limp; her rifle dropped onto the ground, omni-blade hanged to her side. Her survival instinct demanded retaliation – a punch, a kick, anything. But her muscles failed to respond.

 _This can't be the end..._

Twice.

Her ears rang from the impact. Faintly, Shepard heard screams through the radio of her helmet. Blood rushed from her windpipe into her mouth, choking her, muffling her own scream. Her eyes were open but she couldn't see.

 _...Anderson..._

The third strike never came. Instead, Shepard felt a familiar warm tingle surrounding her body, then a strange sense of weightlessness.

 _Am I dead?_

The excruciating pain throughout her body told her otherwise. Shepard struggled to focus. Through her blurred vision, she noticed she was trapped inside a glowing bubble with Eva Core, both floating up, higher and higher away from the ground.

Through her hazy state, Shepard heard voices in her radio. Their exchange was brief and quick.

"...to the building..." said a woman.

"...catch her..." said a man.

Then almost immediately, Shepard felt a strong force pushing from behind, tossing them across the landing zone, slamming straight onto the side of the building. Unable to move, Shepard mentally braced for the inevitable collision, but the angle of the shove was carefully calculated. Eva Core smashed hard onto the wall, absorbing most of the impact for Shepard, who crashed right into Core's burnt body. The grip on her neck was finally loosened.

Both free-fell from midair, but only one of them was caught in the safety of a biotic field. Shepard floated down, barely conscious from the ordeal. Every breath was a struggle, the blood inside her mouth threatened to choke her to death. Shepard stared blankly into the stormy sky and saw nothing but a blur. The world around her began to darken as she found herself landed right into a pair of arms.

"...Hey..." a voice called.

She tried to focus on the person in front of her. However close they were, Shepard couldn't see anything but a shadow.

Faintly, she heard Kaidan's voice. "...Aerin, hey! Can you hear me?"

There was only one thing in her mind. Shepard had to swallow a mouth full of blood before she could find her voice. "...Data..."

"We got it."

That's all she needed to know. With the data, they could continue the fight. With or without her.

"Stay with me..." Kaidan urged, but his voice began to fade away.

 _Sorry._ Shepard gave in, and allowed the darkness to take over.

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2

The distance to the med bay seemed to stretch forever. Cradling Shepard in his arms, Kaidan rushed across the hanger bay, into the elevator, waited for what seemed to be eternal before it stopped. He bolted out of the confinement, ran passed the mess hall and into the med bay. An empty med bay.

Kaidan put the unconscious commander down on one of the beds as gently as he could. The sound of Shepard's head smashing against the shuttle was the worst thing he had ever heard. Her grunt through the helmet radio was something he would never forget. Kaidan wanted to scream, but he had to keep his emotions firmly in check. Shepard needed him, now more than ever.

Without Doctor Chakwas, Kaidan had no choice but to put his field medic training to use. Although it would not be enough, the most he could do was to stabilize her...

"We need to get her to a hospital," Liara urged on the other side of the bed. "We can't go back to Earth. Our next best option is Citadel."

Swallowing hard, Kaidan called out, "Joker, to the Citadel. Now!"

"Roger that."

"Major," Vega called and motioned at the body he'd been carrying over his shoulder. "What do we do with this thing?"

Eva Core. The reason Shepard was lying here in the medical bay. Kaidan's heart demanded him to toss that thing out of the airlock, but his mind told him to dissect it instead.

Kaidan nodded towards the AI core where Legion had once been held. "Lock it up in there with a force field, Lieutenant. EDI, see if you can learn anything about it."

"Understood," said the AI.

Carefully, Kaidan removed Shepard's helmet. Her hair was matted, soaked with blood and sweat. Blood dripped from her nose and the corner of her pale lips.

"Hey," Kaidan whispered as he gently wiped the blood off Shepard's face. "Hang in there. We'll get you to a hospital soon."

"Aerin will be all right," Liara told him, her quiet voice was breaking. "We have to believe that."

When Kaidan looked up, he noticed his old friend was on the verge of tears. Pushing all the thoughts aside, Kaidan's omni-tool lit up as he performed a preliminary scan for injuries.

Internal bleeding. Broken bones. Concussion.

Deep down, he knew she would have been much worse if it wasn't for the implants. Her cybernetic enhancements saved her. Still, it hurt like hell to see Shepard like this. Bruised and battered, covered with blood, Shepard remained motionless, her vital signs weak. If he could, Kaidan would give everything to take Shepard's place.

"This is my fault," said Liara as she touched Shepard's check. "I should have realized it when I met Core. I was just so focused on finding a way to stop the Reapers."

"It's not your fault, Liara. And you know Aerin wouldn't blame you."

"She wouldn't..." Shaking her head, Liara refocused. "Let's stabilize her as much as we can."

For a while, both biotics focused on their tasks in silence. Kaidan began to remove the rest of Shepard's armor, while Liara gathered all necessary supplies from the unopened boxes at the corner of the med bay. The medical bay wasn't ready for its first patient, the ship wasn't ready to fly, and they weren't ready for the war...

"Doctor Chakwas is currently on the Citadel," Liara told him as she began injection into Shepard's arm. "I'll contact her as soon as I'm done here. She knows about Aerin's implants better than anyone in the hospital."

No, there was someone else who knew Shepard better. But...

"Could you find someone for me?" Kaidan asked after a second of hesitation.

Although confused by the sudden request, Liara was quick to agree. "Of course. Who is it?"

"Miranda Lawson."

* * *

A/N: First major change. Kaidan is a biotic, it doesn't make sense for him to shoot Core instead of hitting her with a biotic kick. As for why Shepard was targeted, well, TIM did warn her not to interfere. If you don't shoot Core in game, she'll kill Shep in melee brutally. Ouch. Also, in case you haven't read the previous stories, Kaidan and Miranda have developed some mutual grudging respect in Part 2, that's a set up for him to reach out for Miranda in part 3.

A programming note: I will be away for a while. If I can't get the next chapter up within two weeks, the next update will be in July. Sorry about that. I was debating whether to post this story in May or July, knowing the gap in June. But well, here we are. You have the first three (or four, if possible) chapters as a taste of what's to come. Hopefully you'll come back for the rest of the story.

Anyway, thanks for reading!

Contact info: gmail – pinoko19, tumblr – pinoko-k.


	5. Chapter 4: Lazarus Rising

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chapter 4: Lazarus Rising

Year: 2186CE

Location: Huerta Memorial Hospital, Citadel

A pleasant chime announced the arrival of the elevator. The door opened, revealing a blonde woman with a grim look in her icy blue eyes. Her tailored white outfit indicated she was one of many medical professionals working in this premium facility. Her full lips pressed into a frown as she stepped out and marched through the reception hall with haste. The rapid clicking of her heels served as a siren, warning people to get out of her way. No one dared to bother her as she hurried through the hallway and headed to the emergency room department, where a man was outside, pacing.

"Alenko," the blonde woman called out as she half-jogged to meet the man who had called her only a few hours ago.

Kaidan Alenko studied at her for a second before recognition set in. "Lawson."

The man looked even more exhausted than he had been after storming the Collector base. But he was not her concern.

"Where is Aerin?" Miranda asked. Neither bothered with pleasantries.

"In there." Kaidan looked through the window, into the room where a woman was lying. Blood sipped through fresh bandages as the injured commander struggle to stay alive.

Seeing the woman she had brought back to life now tiptoeing the line between life and death, all bloody and bruised...

"My god..." Miranda felt a chill down her spin. "Cerberus did this to her?"

"A woman named Eva Core," said Kaidan, his voice low and tense. "She's not human; she's a... robot."

 _Robot?_ The knot between her sculpted brows tightened even further. The Illusive Man didn't like to leave loose ends, even if it meant destroying a four-billion credit investment. Miranda shouldn't be surprised. Yet, Shepard had become more than her project, more than her leader. She was a real friend, a very good one. Miranda wanted nothing more than to crash that controlling son of a bitch with her biotics.

"Doctor Chakwas is preparing for surgery," Kaidan told her, his eyes never left the commander inside. "They are waiting for you."

A glance at the patient's chart brought a grimace to Miranda's face. Last time when Shepard had been brought to the operating table, she'd been nothing but a charred body. This time, at least Shepard's heart was still beating.

 _Not for long, if I don't hurry..._

"I'm going in," said Miranda, keeping all her worries behind a cool front.

The man only nodded.

As she headed the decontamination chamber, a quiet voice stopped her tracks.

"I can't lose her," said Kaidan. "Not again."

"You won't," Miranda told him. "Leave her to me."

* * *

Location: Councilor Office, Citadel

Udina scowled after hearing the debriefing. "And this weapon will kill the Reapers?"

Kaidan couldn't blame the councilor to be skeptical. Truth be told, so was he. "According to the research. But we still need support from the other fleets."

"I see." The older man sat back, nodding slowly. "I will talk to the rest of the Council and set up a meeting for you."

"Thank you, Councilor."

Kaidan was ready to hurry back to the hospital, but Udina continued, "I've heard about Shepard. How is the commander?"

"Still in surgery."

"The commander and I may not often see eye to eye, but she is our first human Spectre. The only human Spectre. If anything happens to her-"

"She _will_ recover." _She has to..._

"No doubt. But we are underrepresented as is. I think it's time to have another human Spectre." Udina looked at him. "I'd like to nominate you, Major."

Kaidan raised an eyebrow. That was something he had never expected.

"Don't look so surprised." Udina waved a hand. "With your service record, your experience, your leadership skills, you are a perfect candidate."

"With all due respect, Councilor, Earth is under siege. Do you really think now is a good time to talk about that?"

"On contrary," said the councilor. "Now is the perfect time to have another human Spectre. Constant news from Earth, and all of it bad. It's time to have some good news. You're a soldier, Major, you know the benefits of good morale."

"I need to think about it."

"Of course. But don't take too long. The Council is in dire need of loyal agents. The galaxy has need of exceptional soldiers like you – now, more than ever."

* * *

Location: Huerta Memorial Hospital, Citadel

The bar was empty, except for a dark-haired woman sitting by the counter. As if she could sense Shepard's presence, the woman turned and flashed an easy grin. "Hey, Skipper. Over here."

 _Ashley._ A tiny part of Shepard's mind knew this wasn't real, yet the summon was irresistible. Shepard found herself approaching. Ashley Williams looked exactly like Shepard remembered.

"Rough day, huh?" asked Ashley casually as she filled a shotglass with amber liquor and put it in front of Shepard.

"Yeah..." Somehow, Shepard heard herself confessing, "I'm tired."

"Well, too bad. Suck it up!" Her friend laughed. "You're Commander Aerin freaking Shepard. Everyone is counting on you."

Shepard made a noncommittal noise and downed her drink. She couldn't feel the expected warmth down her throat, nor did she remember if she had even swallowed.

"One more drink, and you gotta go." Another shot was sent sliding down the counter. "LT is waiting."

 _Kaidan..._ Guilt suddenly overwhelmed Shepard, tightened her throat. Shepard looked straight into those warm brown eyes, and said what she had always wanted to say, "I'm sorry, Ash..."

The younger woman, however, only waved a hand. "Shut up, Skipper," said Ashley with half a smirk. "Don't get all emotional on me." She then raised her drink and said, "Now go kick some Reaper's ass for me."

A sudden pain in her lungs as she inhaled woke her up.

Shepard struggled to open her eyes. The bar was gone, so was Ashley. Through her hazy vision, Shepard found herself staring at a white ceiling. As her vision began to clear, she noticed the room was dark, yet pristine. Lights had been dimmed, curtains drawn. Machines by the bedside blinked with numbers and graphs, constantly recording her vitals. She was in a hospital, the working part of her brain deduced that much.

Sitting by her bed, Kaidan had fallen asleep on the chair, his hand holding hers. Smiling, Shepard tightened her grip. He jolted at the slightest movement of her fingers.

"...hey..." Her word came out coarse.

"Hey." He scooted closer, giving her a tired yet heart-warming smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Drowsy," Shepard mumbled, then suddenly remembered. "The data?"

"Liara has recovered most of it. Hackett is going to build the weapon with the blueprint."

 _Good._

"We're in the Citadel," Kaidan told her before she asked.

"How long was I out?"

"Twelve hours since surgery. It's almost five in the morning."

"And our ship?"

"Repair is underway. It will be ready in three days. Udina will set up a meeting with the Council for us. If you're not up for it-"

"I'll go-" Shepard tried to push herself up, but the sharp pain in her ribcage paralyzed her.

"Easy," Kaidan urged. "You almost died back there."

"Almost, but didn't."

Kaidan gave her a pointed look that said 'not funny.' "You gave me quiet a scare."

"Sorry." She reached out to touch the growing stubble on his jawline. "When was the last time you slept?"

"Just now."

"I mean in a bed."

Kaidan shrugged. "I don't know... Since Earth."

"Go get some sleep."

"Nah, I'm fine."

"It's an order, Major," said Shepard half-jokingly. "Go. Come back later. I need you at your best."

Reluctantly, he nodded then gave her a soft peck on her forehead. "I'll be back soon."

Shepard stopped fighting her heavy eyelids and allowed the drowsiness to take over. "Bring me some breakfast. You know I hate hospital food."

* * *

When Shepard opened her eyes again, the room was filled with warm sunlight. Shepard glanced outside the window. The Presidium and its perfectly controlled weather – always sunny, always mild. Unlike Earth and its unpredictable weather.

Earth... The longer she lied here, the more people would lose their lives.

A woman's voice stole her attention from the view outside. "I see you're finally awake."

Shepard knew that voice, but the woman entering the room was blonde. It took her hazy mind a second to make the connection. "Miranda?"

"Glad to see your brain still works."

Confused, Shepard asked, "Why are you here?"

"To save your life, of course," her former XO told her. "Alenko found me through your Shadow Broker friend. You're lucky I was already here in the Citadel when I got the call."

"Thanks for saving my ass again."

"Try not to make a habit out of it."

"Duly noted."

"Your implants saved you," said Miranda as she noted the readings from the machines. "The trauma you sustained could have killed any normal human." She made a few adjustments on the console then declared, "You should be ready to go in a week."

"One week?" Shepard scowled. "I don't have one week."

"As a matter of fact, you do. Your ship isn't going anywhere in the next few days."

"Anderson is counting on me to bring back every fleet-"

"You are not in any condition to fight until you recover."

Shepard knew she was right.

Miranda's tone then softened. "I'm sorry, Aerin, about Earth..."

"Countless people lost their lives within minutes. The Reapers are everything we feared."

Her former XO snorted. "They should have listened to you a long time ago."

"And I should have listened to you and be out there, doing something to help. Instead, I wasted six months..."

"I've to say I'm surprised the Alliance didn't court-martial you."

"Anderson put in good words."

"I was tempted to break in and see you," Miranda admitted.

"That would have been tough to explain."

"True. A visit by the former Cerberus second-in-command would have been disastrous. Any kind of secret communication would have looked even worse."

"The interrogation room wasn't exactly comfortable. You wouldn't like it."

Miranda snorted to hide a laugh, then handed a small cup to Shepard. "Take this."

Shepard swallowed the concoction but grimaced at the taste. "What is it?"

"Poison." She then gave Shepard another cup. "Here, drink this."

"Anti-dote?"

"Orange juice."

The sweet taste washed down the bitterness of the medicine. "You look good in blonde. Almost didn't recognize you."

"That's the point, isn't it?" said Miranda airily as she tugged some errand strands of golden hair behind her ear. A new look, perhaps a new alias, anything to throw Cerberus off her scent. That's the price Shepard's old crew had to pay.

"Have you had any run-ins with the Illusive Man?" asked Shepard.

"Just once," said Miranda. "He said it had been a pleasure to work with me. But he needed to contain the situation."

"'Contain the situation'? That his code for killing?"

"It nearly was. He doesn't take rejection well. You should know." Miranda eyed her meaningfully. "Alenko told me it was a robot who did this to you."

"An indestructible one. Bullets, biotic, not even a crashed shuttle could destroy it."

"A perfect infiltration unit. Someone the Illusive Man could maintain full control over."

"Unlike the two of us." Shepard took a long look at her former XO. She missed having Miranda around. "Join us, Miranda. We could use your help."

"I wish I could. I really do... but there's something I need to deal with..."

"What is it?"

Miranda hesitated before she replied, "I haven't heard from Oriana for a while. I'm getting worried."

Shepard frowned in confusion. "I thought we made sure she was safe."

"We did," said Miranda with an expression mirrored Shepard's. "I knew my father would stop at nothing to find my sister. I kept careful tabs on her, always knew where she was. For her to just vanish... it could only be him. If he's done anything to her, I'll kill him."

"Why do you think your father is involved?"

"She's all he has left." Miranda shook her head with her eyes narrowed. "Also, I heard a rumor, maybe more, that my father is working on something for the Illusive Man. Something big."

"You sure?"

"I'm certain. I'm being hunted by Cerberus assassins after I've done some digging. A lot of them. They wouldn't send so many men after me if I'm not on the right track."

"Why would your father be working with the Illusive Man? Especially now."

"My father is ruthless about preserving his 'legacy.' He has an obsession with making his mark in history. Ensuring his dynasty lasts forever."

"And you think the Illusive Man made him an offer?"

"Exactly."

"Whatever is going on with your father can't be good. We have to figure this out."

"I agree, but... I need to do this myself. It's time I stopped running from him. I can't think straight until I know Ori is safe."

"Come with us," Shepard offered once again. "The last place Cerberus would look is the Normandy. There's no safer place to hide until we have found Oriana."

"Aerin is right," said a voice from the doorway. "You should join us."

Miranda looked at the new visitor, surprised.

Kaidan continued as he walked in, "If anything happened to you, you'd never be able to save your sister."

Hiding a smile, Shepard added seamlessly, "Besides, if you need information, we have the Shadow Broker with us."

"Liara is setting up her equipments in your old office," Kaidan told his biotic counterpart. "Hope you don't mind."

"We could set up an office for you in the starboard observation," Shepard suggested. "We are flying with less than a skeleton crew. We could really use your help."

Although frowning ever-so slightly, there was just a hint of a smile on Miranda's face as her gaze shifted between the two soldiers. "What is this? An ambush?"

"You know we're right," said Shepard. "The Normandy isn't the same without my perfect XO. So what do you say?"

"I guess someone has to keep an eye on you," said Miranda after a brief thoughtful moment. "There is one condition."

"Name it."

"I can't be your XO this time. The Alliance isn't known for its flexibility. I don't want to give them any more excuse to court-martial you." Miranda shot a look at Kaidan. "My replacement here will do a fine job, I'm sure."

"Deal." Shepard offered a lightly bandaged hand. "Welcome aboard, Miss Lawson."

* * *

A/N: Blonde Miranda because of her voice actress. If Kelly Chambers has to change her hair to avoid Cerberus, why not Miranda as well?

Next update will be in July. Hope you'll be back for the rest of the story!

Thanks for reading. And thanks for the reviews! I truly appreciate it.

Contact info: gmail – pinoko19, tumblr – pinoko-k.


	6. Chapter 5: Plan B

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chapter 5: Plan B

Year: 2186CE

Location: Unknown

A nightmare unfolded in front of Shepard's eyes. A burnt metallic woman and a man in blue armor. The woman's charred hand clawed onto the man's helmet, her slender arm raised above her head, lifting the man off the ground with unnatural strength.

The name of the man was stuck in her throat. Shepard wanted to scream, but she couldn't. Neither could she run, nor shoot. Her legs and her arms were all frozen. The only thing she could do was to watch.

And so she watched as the metallic woman slammed the man against the wall.

BANG. _NO!_

BANG. _NO! STOP!_

The woman turned as if she could hear Shepard's silent scream. With a casual flick of her wrist, the metallic woman disposed the lifeless man onto the ground, then leaped and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Finally freed from the invisible bond, Shepard rushed to the man and cradled him in her arms. Her hands shook in fear, her heart broke. Shepard heard murmurs within the broken helmet, words too soft, too weak. Carefully, she removed the helmet. The face underneath was not the man she expected, but a woman – a friend she had lost years ago.

Bloodshot brown eyes opened and looked into hers, full of accusations and hatred. The dying Chief Williams asked, "How many more has to die before you give up?"

Shepard felt her own throat closing. She couldn't breathe.

Ashley's lips moved again, although the voice was no longer hers. "Stop fighting."

A sharp breath of cool air filled Shepard's lungs, her eyes snapped open. Shepard found herself staring at the now-familiar white ceiling. A faint beep from a machine nearby grounded her back to reality, back to the hospital bed that she had called home for the past three days.

Light from outside filtered through the shaded windows; morning had already arrived. Whatever drugs Miranda had given her the night before, had knocked her out completely for a few good hours.

Shepard blinked hard, trying to shake off the remnants of the nightmare from her mind. She couldn't give up, not now, not ever. Earth was counting on her; Anderson was counting on her. It was up to her to bring back reinforcements, or else...

There was no "or else."

Determined, Shepard peeled away the devices that constantly measured her vital signs. Warning beeps from the machines broke the peaceful silence. Ignoring the noise as well as the pain in her ribs, Shepard hopped off the bed and got dressed for her first battle in this war.

She had a date with the Council.

* * *

Location: Council Chambers, Citadel

"You look pale," said Liara as the elevator took them up to the highest point of the Citadel.

Shepard merely shrugged. "I don't anticipate a fight in the Council Chambers this time. I'll be fine."

"Oh there will be a fight," the doctor quipped softly. "Just not with guns."

The previous battleground had already been restored. Cherry blossoms were once again blooming along the paths. Shepard glanced up at the pink petals. The last time she had seen these pink flowers was outside the windows in Vancouver HQ. The day the Reapers attacked.

It had only been a few days, yet it felt like years.

 _Hang in there, Anderson..._

"Looks like they have already started," said Liara under her breath as they approached.

"Good," Shepard replied. "Spare me the small talks."

"We've got our own problems, Councilor," the turian councilor told Udina. "Earth is not in this alone."

Shepard frowned. Sparatus. The man was never her favorite, nor she his.

"But Earth was the first Council world hit," Udina countered. "By all reports, it faces the brunt of the attack."

"By your reports," the salarian councilor was quick to point out.

Valern. Shepard's brows tightened further. She couldn't decide which one she disliked more: the turian or the salarian.

Keeping the irritation away from her tone, Shepard chimed in to announce her arrival, "The reports are accurate. I was there when Earth was attacked – by the Reapers."

The councilors shared a look among themselves, but none of them responded.

 _It's good to see you, too._

"And it's just the beginning," Shepard continued, ignoring the discomfort on the bandaged torso hidden underneath her shirt.

Still no response.

Yet, it didn't faze Shepard the slightest. She had known these three for years. While she might not be their favorite Spectre, she had saved all their lives. Now was the time to cash in all the chips.

"We need your help," said Shepard. "Everything you can spare."

Another look was exchanged before the asari councilor spoke up, "Each of us faces a similar situation. Even now, the Reapers are pressing on our borders."

Shepard didn't like where this was heading.

Tevos continued, "If we lend you our strength to help Earth, our own worlds will fall."

 _You've gotta be kidding me._

"We must fight this enemy together!" Udina urged.

"And so we should just follow you to Earth?" asked Valern.

Sparatus held up a hand to calm his colleagues before turning his attention back to Shepard. "Even if we were to unite our fleets, do you really believe we could defeat the Reapers?"

 _No._ "I don't expect you to follow me without a plan," said Shepard, who then turned to Liara.

"Councilors," Liara began, "We have a plan. A blueprint. Created by the Protheans during their war with the Reapers."

"A blueprint for what?" asked Sparatus.

"We're still piecing it together," said Liara as she uploaded some data in a nearby console. A hologram of a blueprint appeared. "But it appears to be a weapon of some sort."

That was enough to get the Council's full attention.

"Capable of destroying the Reapers?" asked Valern.

"So it would seem," said Liara.

"The scale is..." Valern shook his head. "It would be a colossal undertaking."

"No," said Shepard quickly before the salarian could find more excuses. "We forwarded the plans to Admiral Hackett. The remnants of the human fleet are already gathering resources to begin construction."

Liara added, "Our initial calculations suggest it is very feasible to build."

" _If_ we work together," Shepard emphasized _. Come on, give us the fleet..._

Tevos shot them a long, level look. "Have you considered that the Reapers destroyed the Protheans? What good would this weapon do?"

"It was incomplete," Liara explained. "They ran out of time before they could finish building it."

There was yet another uncomfortable pause before Sparatus asked Shepard, "Do you really believe this could stop the Reapers?"

 _No._ "I believe in trying," Shepard replied. "And while I haven't always agreed with Udina, he is right about this... We need to stand together. Now more than ever. The Reapers won't stop at Earth. They'll destroy every organic being in the galaxy if we don't stop them."

 _Just give me the goddamned fleet!_

The councilors shared yet another look. Shepard's blood ran cold when she spotted the slightest headshake from Valern. _No, no, no..._

It was Tevos who delivered the punch. "The cruel and unfortunate truth is that," the asari pronounced every word slowly, "while the Reapers focus on Earth, we can prepare and regroup."

 _What about Earth?_ Shepard wanted to scream. _And Anderson?_

Even though Shepard saw the rejection coming from their reluctance, their tone, their body languages, the pure outrage was a tough pill to swallow. Anderson was on the ground, holding the line, waiting for the reinforcement, while his former colleagues were hiding behind their glass tower, none willing to lift one finger to help the destruction of a planet.

The pain in Shepard's ribs was dulled by the fire in her belly.

"We are convening a summit amongst our species," said Valern. The shock on Udina's face told them he had missed the memo. "If we can manage to secure our borders," the salarian continued, "we may once again consider aiding you."

If looks could kill, Valern would have been incinerated into a pile of ashes under Shepard's burning glare.

"I'm sorry, Commander." The asari's cool tone didn't match her words. "That is the best we can do."

Without another word, the three councilors moved to leave, all skillfully avoided Shepard's eyes.

"Shepard," Udina huffed with a scowl, "meet me in my office."

The last councilor left. Alone with Liara, Shepard stood in the newly renovated chamber hall. Three years ago, they had fought for their lives in this very place – against Saren, against an army of Geth, against Sovereign. Three years ago, they had sacrificed the human fleet to save the Destiny Ascension, to save the Council and the ten thousand lives aboard their flagship.

And now, they needed the Council's help. And what did they get in return?

The sharp pain from her injuries was merely an annoyance comparing to the corroding bitterness Shepard felt inside.

A gentle hand was placed on her shoulder, along came Liara's quiet yet solemn voice, "We will find another way."

Plan B? There was no plan B.

* * *

Location: Councilor Office, Citadel

"They're a bunch of self-concerned jackasses, Shepard," said Udina as he stormed in.

For once, Shepard agreed with her longtime adversary.

"The Council," Udina scoffed. "You saved their lives, and for what? Apologies that boils down to 'maybe later.' If we don't figure out something, 'Maybe Later' will be an epitaph on a mass grave of eleven billion."

Again, she agreed with the councilor.

Udina sank down onto his chair with a long sigh. "We may have a spot on the Council, but humanity will always be considered second-rate."

Frowning, Shepard voiced a question she had been asking herself. "How can they be so blind?"

"They're scared." The councilor snorted. "And they're looking out for themselves."

"Our people are scared," Sparatus admitted as he walked in without invitation. "And we're looking out for them the best we know how."

"Councilor," Udina greeted with his jaws clenched.

"Commander," said Sparatus. "I can't give you what you need, but I can tell you how to get it."

 _What do you want?_ "I'm listening."

"Primarch Fedorian called the war summit," the turian councilor told them, "but... we lost contact with him when the Reapers hit Palaven."

"Palaven is hit?" _Garrus... Goddammit!_ "I warned you!"

"So you did. Those meetings won't proceed without the primarch. The Normandy is one of the few ships that can extract him undetected."

There's always some strings attached. Shepard held back a scoff. "So far you've only explain how I can help you."

"It might seem that way," said Sparatus. "But the leaders of this summit will be the ones deciding our future. The fate of our fleets, where they fight, and with whom. A grateful primach would be a tremendous ally in your bid to unite us."

Shepard scowled. "We're at war, and you want me to play politicians?"

"If it gets you what you need, what does it matter?"

 _Do whatever it takes_ , Anderson's command rang inside Shepard's head.

Shepard had to swallow hard to keep a curse from escaping. "I need details."

"Our latest intelligence says the primarch was moved to a base on Palaven's largest moon." The councilor transferred some data to Shepard's omni-tool. "I've done all I can to help. The rest is up to you." Sparatus turned to leave but paused. "There is one other thing. The Council wanted me to tell you... we've chosen to uphold your Spectre status. And various resources will be made to you."

 _Resources? I need a goddamned fleet!_

"It's a start," said Udina after the door was closed. "I'll talk to the others meanwhile. See if we can support this summit. Move things along."

It was a strange day when Shepard's only ally was Donnel Udina. A strange day indeed.

* * *

Location: Huerta Memorial Hospital, Citadel

"Sounds like they're running scared," said Kaidan after Shepard's debriefing.

"Told you they're useless," said Miranda, who then turned her omni-tool on and instructed Shepard, "Hold still."

Sitting on the bed in the sick bay, Shepard remained still as Miranda performed a scan. "The Council has been a pain in my ass from day one," said Shepard. "I'm done with them."

None of the biotics seemed surprised by her declaration.

"What's your plan?" asked Kaidan.

 _Plan B._ "We'll save the turian primarch. Then get him for a summit meeting with the asari and the salarians."

"Bypass the Council and appeal directly to their leadership..." Kaidan thought for a second then nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

Miranda's lips curled up in a tiny proud smile. "That's the Shepard I know. All done."

"I need to get out of here asap," Shepard told her former XO.

"Your injuries are healing faster than I expect," said Miranda after studying the readings. "I must say, I'm impressed."

"By your own handiwork?"

"Well, I did rebuild you." Miranda checked the chart once more. "You're not 100%..."

"I was in worse condition when you woke me up in the Lazarus facility," Shepard reminded her.

"Yes, I remember," said Miranda. "Fighting a bunch of mechs naked..."

Kaidan's eyes widened at that.

Miranda turned to him, half-amused. "What? Aerin didn't tell you?"

"Almost naked," Shepard clarified. "I found a shirt in the closet. So, can I get out of here or not?"

Her former XO gave her a knowing look. "Even if I said no, you'd sneak out of the hospital."

"Finally."

Kaidan then commented offhandedly, "It's a miracle you could keep her here for so long."

To that, his biotic counterpart replied, "I suspect the lack of hospital food did the trick, thanks to your constant food delivery."

Shepard stood and stretched, holding back a wince, then turned to Kaidan and asked, "Is the ship ready?"

"It'll be ready by tomorrow," said Kaidan. "Doctor Chakwas is coming aboard. Also, thanks to Lawson's tip, I have contacted Daniels and Donnelly. Adams could use their help in engineering. There is a minor problem..."

"What?"

"They're in custody here on Citadel. We need to use your Spectre status to give them full pardons and reinstate them."

Shepard nodded. "Pack your bags, Miss Lawson. We're leaving tomorrow, and you're coming with us."

"To Palaven, then," said Kaidan. "I'll tell Joker and the others."

"One more thing," Shepard told her current de facto XO. "Ask Liara to find Garrus."

If he was surprised by that sudden request, Kaidan didn't show.

"I want his exact location," said Shepard. "I'm dragging his pointy ass out of Palaven, whether he likes it or not."

The two biotics exchanged a look. Unspoken concern was written across both of their faces, but none of them spoke. Shepard knew what they were thinking, for she shared the exact worry the moment she had heard about the attack on Palaven.

 _Let's hope we're not too late._

–

A/N: Back from the break. Thanks for reading!

Contact info: gmail – pinoko19, tumblr – pinoko-k.


	7. Chapter 6: A Silver World of Fire

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chapter 6: A Silver World of Fire

Year: 2186CE

Location: Kodiak Shuttle

The kodiak shuttle seemed slower than usual.

Shepard paced around the tiny cabin like a caged lion. Once every few steps, she checked their location through the windows at the cockpit, watching the pale white orb grew bigger as their shuttle took them to the largest moon on Palaven.

Somewhere on Menae was a man she needed for the war. And somewhere on Palaven was a man she loved like a brother she'd never had. No matter how much she wanted to head straight to Palaven and pluck Garrus off the planet, first order of business was to retrieve the primarch first.

Shepard frowned. She was a soldier, not a politician. Battlefields were what she was trained for, not boardrooms. Yet, politician was a role she had to play in order to have a chance to win this war.

And so, Garrus would have to wait for a little bit longer.

"Uh, Commander..." Joker's hesitant voice came through the comm. "You might want to see this..."

The screen inside the kodiak lit up. A planet appeared, all black and orange.

Bright amber spots twinkled among the surface of the global, some shimmered brighter than the others. They came and gone, came and gone, like lights on a Christmas tree. Shepard's heart dropped to her stomach.

"Oh no..." Liara breathed. "No... Palaven."

"Holy hell," James exclaimed. "They're getting decimated!"

Eyes widened in horror, Shepard stared at the screen until the image of Palaven became a blur. The floor underneath her boots began to shift. Shepard felt a hand on her arm, steadying her.

"It's Garrus," Kaidan reminded her quietly. "He'll be all right."

Shepard could only nod. "He'd better be..."

"My god..." Miranda shook her head in disbelief. "Strongest military in the galaxy, and the Reapers are obliterating it."

"Commander," Steve Cortez called from the cockpit, "We have a problem. The LZ is getting swarmed."

"Husks," warned Kaidan, frowning. "Just like Earth."

"Steve, open the hatch." Shepard pulled out her rifle and turned to her team. "Clear the area."

The door opened while the shuttle was still high in midair, circling the landing zone below. Bullets and biotics flew across the distance, taking down the husks along the cliff.

"Is it just me," asked James as the midair assault continued, "or do those Reapers look like turians?"

Glowing bright in blue, Kaidan spared a moment to reply, "They do."

"Turning the enemies into their own army," said Miranda in between attacks. "Smart."

"First humans, now turians. What next?" James wondered out loud. "Krogan? Asari?"

"Goddess help us if they transform the asari," said Liara, blasting a group of husk with her biotics.

"Doesn't matter," said Shepard as she reloaded. "They can all be killed." With the last monster down, Shepard yelled an order over her shoulder, "Lower the shuttle, Lieutenant."

No bother waiting for a proper landing, Shepard leaped out of the shuttle and landed in parkour. Her shield absorbed most of the impact, sparing her ribs further discomfort. She looked up, the burning planet in the sky sent a chill down her spine. It reminded her of Earth, of Anderson.

She needed the turian fleet, and in order to get it, she needed the primarch. And then, there was Garrus... Even the best soldier in the galaxy couldn't survive a direct hit from the Reaper. _Hang in there, Garrus._

"All right," Shepard told her team, "get in, get out. Let's move!"

* * *

Location: Menae

Palaven, "a silver world of fortresses and fire." Contrary to the asari's poetic description, Palaven was not silver, but a soothing shade light green.

But now, the once green planet was black and orange. Orange from the burning destruction, black from the smoke and ashes.

Standing on the surface of Menae, Garrus Vakarian looked up at the turian homeworld, searching for a specific area. Without much effort, he found it – a spot glowing in bright amber. That was his hometown, burning so bright from the destruction on the groundside. Garrus felt sick to his stomach. Right in front of his eyes, his home was being ripped apart by the Reapers, his father and sister missing, yet he was safe here on Menae.

As much as Garrus wanted to head back to Palaven, he couldn't. It was for the greater good, Palaven Command had told him when they'd ordered him to leave Palaven. As the expert advisor on the Reaper forces, Garrus was needed on Menae. For should Menae fall, so would Palaven.

Expert advisor... Garrus scoffed. A token position assigned by Primarch Fedorian to shut him up about the Reapers. Many had not taken his warnings too seriously.

Until the past few days.

The Reapers had come knocking on their door, and everyone turned to him.

For the past few months, they had done all they could with limited resources. Emergency warning systems installed. Extra medical and food supplies stocked. Escape routes plotted. Personnel trained. Everything they could have done to prepare for this day, still it wasn't enough.

How could anyone prepare for something like this?

Garrus grimaced as he watched his world burn.

"Sir," a soldier called out, "a shuttle has landed."

It took Garrus a second before he realized he was being talked to. 'Sir.' He was respectable now. But the respect didn't prevent the inevitable.

"From Palaven Command?" Garrus asked. What they needed was every warship in the galaxy, not just one shuttle.

"It's from the Alliance."

That got Garrus' attention. "...You happen to know the name of the ship?"

"Normandy, sir."

Garrus' mandibles twitched. Still, he didn't dare to get his hopes up, for he had heard about Earth...

The soldier continued to report, "A group of human soldiers are making their way to the comm tower."

Garrus could almost see a spark at the end of the tunnel. "The leader?"

"Someone named Shepard. Said she's looking for the primarch."

 _Thank the Spirits..._ A breath of relief escaped. Shepard was alive, and she was here. His grim world had just gotten a whole lot brighter.

* * *

Location: Menae, Communication Tower

A soldier led Shepard and her team through the camp site. "General, sir," the soldier announced, "reinforcements have arrived."

"General," Shepard greeted. "Commander Aerin Shepard, Alliance Navy."

The general scarcely spared a glance from his work on the console. "Commander Shepard. Heard you were coming, but I didn't believe it. General Corinthus."

No need for pleasantries, not when they were in the middle of a war zone. Shepard understood that all too well. "I've come to get Primarch Fedorian."

General Corinthus froze for a moment. "...Primarch Fedorian is dead."

"What?"

"His shuttle was shot down an hour ago as he tried to leave the moon."

So much for plan B. Shepard held back a scowl. "That's going to complicate things. So what happens now?"

"The turian hierarchy provides a very clear line of succession," said Liara.

Corinthus, however, shook his head. "With such heavy casualties, it's hard for me to be certain who the next primarch is. Palaven Command will know. But right now, the hierarchy is in chaos – so many dead or MIA."

"I need someone," Shepard insisted, her patience was running thin. "I don't care who, as long as they can get us the turian resources we need."

Behind her, a very familiar voice responded, "I'm on it, Shepard."

Gasping, Shepard jolted and whipped around.

A turian in blue and silver armor waltzed in with a sniper rifle in his hands. "If it's the primarch you need, we'll find you one."

"Garrus!" It took Shepard everything not to jump at her old friend.

"Vakarian, sir-" Corinthus was quick to salute. "I didn't see you arrived."

Garrus waved a hand. "At ease, General."

Shepard closed the distance with a grin she could no longer contain. War had already taken too many things from her, she was only too happy Garrus Vakarian wasn't on the ever growing list.

Garrus took her hand in his with a firm handshake. The formality was needed in front of the general, Shepard knew. But to hell with professional front, Shepard pulled Garrus in for a hearty hug. "You're alive!"

"I'm hard to kill," said Garrus after stepping back from Shepard's grip. "You should know that."

"Yeah. Not even a rocket to the face could kill you..."

"Good to see you in one piece, Garrus," said Kaidan.

"Good to see you, too, Kaidan," said Garrus. "And you, Liara."

"We were so worried when we saw Palaven," Liara told him. "My sources told me you were there."

"I was. Until the Reapers came knocking on our door," Garrus told them. "If we lose this moon, we lose Palaven. I'm the closest damn thing we have to an expert on Reaper forces, so I'm... advising."

"How bad is it on Palaven?" Kaidan asked.

"Three million lost the first day. Five the second."

Kaidan grimaced at the number. "You're putting up a good fight."

"For now," Garrus replied, his voice tired. "But how long does it take before the fight's kicked out of you?"

None of the veterans wanted to answer.

"We need a primarch, Garrus," said Shepard, who then updated him on the Council's decision. Somehow, the weight on her shoulders suddenly felt lighter in her turian twin's presence.

"We have a new primarch, Commander." General Corinthus looked up from the console he had been constantly checking. "Palaven Command tells me that the next primarch is General Adrien Victus."

"Victus?" said Liara. "His name has crossed my desk."

Shepard turned to her turian twin immediately. "Know him, Garrus?"

"I was fighting alongside him this morning," Garrus told her. "Lifelong military. Get results, popular with his troops. Not so popular with military command – has a reputation for playing loose with accepted strategy."

"What do you mean?"

"On Taetrus," Liara explained, "during the uprisings, his squad discovered a salarian spy ring about the same time the turian separatists did. Rather than neutralize the ring, he fell back. He even gave up valuable fortifications, which the rebels took."

"Then," Garrus continued, "the rebels attacked the salarians. And when both groups had worn each other down, Victus moved back in. Didn't lose one man."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Impressive."

"Bold strategy," General Corinthus commented. "But wild behaviors doesn't get you advanced up the meritocracy."

"Primarch Victus..." Garrus pondered. "That should be something to see."

"You think he can get the job done?" asked Shepard.

"We both know conventional strategy won't beat the Reapers," said Garrus. "Right now he could be our best shot. And I trust him."

That's all Shepard needed to know.

"Okay." Shepard turned to her team and ordered, "Let's get General Victus on the shuttle and get out of here." Shooting a knowing glance at the brother she'd never had, Shepard asked, "Coming, Garrus?"

A grin started to spread on Garrus' exhausted face. "Are you kidding? I'm right behind you."

A corner of Shepard's lips twisted up. For the first time since that fateful day on Earth, things started to look just a bit brighter. "Let's move. Double-time! No Reaper's taking this primarch from me!"

* * *

Location: Menae, Camp

"General Victus should be in there," said Garrus as he led the group to the camp.

After killing hordes after hordes of husks in all shapes and sizes, Shepard finally found the man she'd been looking for. In the middle of the camp, a small group of soldiers gathered around a map and holographic images of the troops and the enemies. Shepard recognized a strategy meeting when she saw one from afar. Among the soldiers was General Victus, the latest primarch of the turian hierachy.

"Think he knows he's the primarch?" she asked Garrus as they approached.

"Doubt it," said Garrus. "Knowing Victus, the line of succession is the last thing on his mind right now."

"General Victus?" Shepard called out when they were near.

The general turned away from his men, slightly irritated by the interruption. "Yes?"

"I'm Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy."

"Ah, Commander. I know who you are. I can't wait to find out what brings you out here." The general then turned to Garrus. "Vakarian – where did you go?"

"Heavy Reaper unit on the right flank," said Garrus. "I believe your exact words were, 'Get that thing the hell off my men.'"

The general nodded. "Appreciate it."

"General," said Shepard, "you're needed off-planet. I've come to get you."

Victus glanced at the battlefield. "It will take something beyond important for me to leave my men, or my turian brothers and sisters, in their fight."

Shepard and Garrus exchanged a brief look. It was Garrus who delivered the news. "Fedorian was killed. You're the new primarch."

The mandibles on the general's jaw twitched.

"You're needed immediately," said Shepard, "to chair a summit and represent your people in the fight against the Reapers."

The general didn't reply. Instead, he stepped away from the group. Even with as little time as she had to spare, Shepard let the man digest the shocking news.

"I'm primarch of Palaven?" Victus mumbled under his breath as he stared at the burning planet that was his home. "Negotiating for the turian hierarchy?"

"Yes," Shepard confirmed.

Shaking his head, Victus turned and looked at Shepard. "I've spent my whole life in the military. I'm no diplomat... I hate diplomats."

"Why the hesitation, General?"

"I'm not really a 'by the book' kind of guy..." Victus told her frankly, "and I piss people off. My family has been military since the Unification War. War is my life. It's in my bones. But that kind of passion is... deceptive. Can make you seem reckless when you're anything but."

Victus could easily be describing Shepard. She understood his reluctance. Yet, sometimes, reluctant leaders are the best ones.

"Then you're perfect for the job," said Shepard. "War is your resume. At a time like this, we need leaders who have been through that hell."

The new primarch studied her; Shepard held his gaze evenly.

Eventually, Victus nodded. "I like that. You're right. I've heard about you, Commander. You never asked to be a leader, yet your people will die if you refuse. We find ourselves in similar circumstances. Let's hope the spirits grant us the strength to see it through."

"And honestly," said Shepard, "uniting these races may take as much strength as facing the Reapers." She gestured at Palaven. "See that devastation, Primarch? Double that for Earth. I need an alliance. I need the turian fleet."

The primarch cast one last longing look at the battlefield. "Give me a moment to say goodbye to my men."

When they were alone, Garrus said, "Without him down here, there's a good chance we lose this moon."

"Without him up there," Shepard countered, "there's a good chance we lose everything."

There was no win-win situation, they both knew. Sacrifice had to be made, but who was paying the price?

There was a brief pause before Shepard admitted quietly, "Leaving Earth was one of the hardest things I've done."

"But you're here asking Victus to do the same thing," Garrus didn't hesitate to point out. "Leave the fight to make nice in some boardroom."

His blunt honesty was something Shepard had missed the most. "This summit is the only chance we've got," she reasoned. "None of us is beating the Reapers alone."

Garrus turned and pointed at a Reaper afar. "Look at that... And they want my opinion on how to stop it?" He shook his head with a quiet snort. "Failed C-Sec officer. Vigilante. And I'm their expert advisor?"

"I can't think of a better man for the job."

The two twins went quiet for a moment as both stared at the burning planet in the sky. "Damn it," said Garrus. "Look at Palaven. See that blaze of orange? The big one. That's where I was born."

"I'm sorry, Garrus." Shepard then remembered. "Where's your family now?"

Garrus gestured at the burning planet. "Dad and Sol are still there."

 _Shit..._ "...I'm sure your dad will get her out." Her words sounded hollow to her own ears. "He's a Vakarian, after all."

"You're right..." Garrus paused before he added, "I'm sorry about Earth."

"...Yeah. It was devastating."

"Is your mother all right?"

"Don't know. She's off-planet, on her own ship when the Reapers arrived."

"...I'm sure she'll be fine. She's a Shepard, after all."

"Shepards and Vakarians. All very hard to kill."

"Can't say the same for the rest of the people down there." Garrus shook his head, his gaze never left his homeworld. "If only they'd listened to your warnings about the Reapers, we might have been ready."

"If only..."

"Think you can win this thing?"

Shepard swallowed hard. "...I don't know, Garrus." For once, she could admit freely. "But I'm sure as hell gonna give it my best shot."

"I'm damn sure nobody else can do it." He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "For whatever it's worth, I'm with you."

Shepard shot him a long look, forever thankful that the war didn't take away her Archangel. Smiling, she told him, "That's all I need."

* * *

A/N: Here comes Garrus. Bromance is the best. Kaidan, Miranda, Garrus, all aboard SSV Normandy, but not for long. Shepard can't have everything now, can she?

Thanks for reading!

Contact info: gmail – pinoko19, tumblr – pinoko-k.


	8. Chapter 7: No Free Lunch

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chapter 7: No Free Lunch

Year: 2186CE

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2

The Normandy. His home away from home. For a while, Garrus thought he would never walk down these hallways again. He thought he'd never see his human sister one more time before he died.

Yet here he was, on the Normandy, following the familiar back of a woman he respected the most.

Garrus was glad to be home, even when his other home had been reduced to a pile of ashes.

"Welcome aboard, gentlemen," said Shepard as she led the two turians down the hallway of her ship.

"More than a new coat of paint, I see," said Garrus, glancing around the new interior. "Been redecorating the place?"

"Updated to meet Alliance standards," Shepard told him. Although from her dry tone, Garrus knew the commander was less than pleased with the changes.

"And the weapon system?" Garrus had to ask.

His human sister gave him a look. "That's your department, Vakarian."

"I'm pretty sure somebody screwed up something. I'll get the old girl back in fighting shape."

"Get some rest first," said Shepard, her tone softened a notch. "I'm going to need you more than your aim."

Garrus was touched. "After what I've been through lately, calibrating a giant gun is a vacation. Gives me something to focus on."

They stopped at a circular room with a holographic display of a map in the center. A new addition, Garrus noticed.

Shepard turned to the latest primarch. "You are welcome to use any resources we have on the ship, Primarch Victus."

"Thank you, Commander," said Victus who then a brief pause before he added, "One thing. I appreciate your need for our fleets, but I can't spare them. Not while my world is burning."

Shepard's expression darkened in the blink of an eye.

 _Oh crap._ If there's something scary than a Reaper, it's an angry Commander Shepard.

The primarch continued, "But if the pressure could be taken off Palaven..."

Shepard's voice took a colder turn. "That's a pretty tall order."

 _And that's an understatement_. Garrus managed to hold his tongue. _Defeat the Reapers? With what army?_

"We need the krogan," Victus suggested. "I can't see us winning this thing without them. Get them to help us, and then we can help you."

"The krogan..." Shepard mumbled, her gaze eventually settled on Garrus as if asking for his opinion.

One name came to his mind.

 _Wrex._

No doubt Shepard was thinking about the very same krogan. Garrus returned his best friend's look and said, "Looks like your summit just got a lot more interesting."

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, Mess Hall

"Of course there is something Victus wants in return." Miranda snorted softly.

To say she was surprised by what Shepard had told them would be a lie. If there's only one thing Miranda had learned, it's that there's no free lunch.

"The krogan and the turians?" said Kaidan, shaking his head. "This could be a problem."

"Good thing we know a clan chief," said Garrus. "Think Wrex will do us this favor?"

"Don't know..." Shepard leaned back onto the chair with a frown. The coffee in front of her remained untouched. "We're not asking him to spare an infantry unit. We're asking him to kick the Reapers off Palaven."

From the corner of her eye, Miranda noticed Liara exited her new lair – or Miranda's old office. Strange enough, Miranda didn't mind that her private room was taken. Compared to the placed she had stayed in the past few months, the Normandy's crew quarters was a five-star hotel.

"Wrex has his hands full," claimed Liara as she took a seat across the commander then handed her a datapad. "The Reaper scouts have arrived on Tuchanka."

The knot between Shepard's brows tightened. "How long do you think until a full invasion?"

"Hard to say," said Kaidan. "Days. A few weeks, tops."

"Better hold this summit soon," suggested Miranda.

"Knowing Wrex," said Garrus, "he'd rather be shooting at the Reapers than talking to asari and salarians." He turned to Liara. "Present company excluded."

Shepard asked the Shadow Broker. "Any updates on Cerberus?"

"None," said Liara. "Only that they're after the same thing we are: A way to defeat the Reapers."

"Unlike Saren," Shepard told her closest friends, "the Illusive Man didn't seem to suggest we appease the Reapers. He talked about controlling them."

"Controlling the Reapers?" Miranda frowned in disbelief. "Ridiculous! This is way too much, even for him. I think he's out of his mind." The man she had once known, once trusted, was now completely gone.

Shepard nodded. "He seemed to think that's how we win this."

"Dead Reapers are how we win this," said Garrus.

"Doesn't mean he won't try," said Shepard. "Keep an eye on him, Liara. I have enough to deal with; I don't need any more surprises."

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, Communications Room

"The asari have been down this road before, Commander Shepard," Kaidan heard Councilor Tevos' voice coming from the communications room.

By Shepard's request, Kaidan waited out of view, and heard every word of the ongoing meeting.

"But Madame Councilor," said Shepard, "let me-"

Tevos didn't bother to let her finish. "I tried to smooth things over with the salarian dalatress. To say she's upset would be a monumental understatement."

Kaidan scowled.

Shepard's voice took a sharper turn. "Some of these issues are hundreds of years old! Time to let go."

"Sad to say, but any effort to ally these disparate groups seems doomed to fail," the councilor predicted. "And I'm sure you understand that we cannot afford to waste time with the Reapers knocking at our door. This must be my final word. I'm sorry, but the asari will not be at your summit."

"Our alliance would be stronger with the krogan," Shepard insisted, giving it a final push. "You need them – we all do!"

"I wish you luck, Commander. Goodbye."

 _That went well..._

Kaidan heard the faintest swear before Shepard stepped out of the room. As expected, her expression was as grim as the situation they had in hand. But when her eyes met his, he could see hidden beyond frustration was an extra layer of exhaustion, with more than a hint of doubt.

He put a hand on her shoulder as silent support, but otherwise remained quiet as they headed back to the CIC, giving Shepard some time to settle her thoughts.

"What do you think?" Shepard asked eventually. "The krogan, the turian, and the salarian, all in one room. That's how a war gets started."

"I wouldn't worry about starting a war," said Kaidan with a carefully calculated calm voice. "We're already in the middle of one."

"It'll be a very short war if they don't stop fighting each other."

"Well, if anyone could pull this off, it's you."

Shepard snorted, but her expression softened. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Major. How was your debriefing with Hackett? Any news?"

"Arcturus Station was hit." He hated to be the bearer of the bad news, especially when the news brought a crestfallen look to Shepard's face. "Hackett sacrificed the entire Second Fleet to provide cover for the Third and Fifth Fleet to retreat."

"My god..."

"Also..." Kaidan hesitated a bit before he continued, "Hackett asked me to join the Fifth Fleet."

Shepard stopped dead in her tracks. "Don't tell me you're leaving."

"I turned it down."

The quiet sigh of relief was unmistakable. "Good..."

"There's another thing..."

"More bad news?"

"Not exactly. Udina offered me a position. Spectre."

Bright blue eyes lit up like he knew they would. A genuine smile appeared on Shepard's face; it was a rare sight these days. "That's great!"

"I'm still considering."

"What are you waiting for?"

"It's a big honor... a huge responsibility. Just need to be sure."

"You're perfect for the job," she told him, resuming their way to the CIC. "Next time, when I'm at war with the Council, it's two against three."

"I don't know... You set the bar pretty high, Commander."

"As the Spectre who gives the Council the worst headache. I'm only second to Saren-"

The ship sudden shook. Lights blinked, then dimmed, then turned back on. Consoles nearby beeped without any input.

"Joker!" yelled Shepard. "What the hell is going on?"

"We've got a situation, Commander," the pilot replied through the comm. "It's like the Normandy's possessed – shutting down systems, powering up weapons. I can't find the source."

"EDI?" Shepard called.

There was no answer.

"...the hell?" Joker mumbled before he announced, "EDI just went offline."

Shepard scowled. "What do you mean 'offline'?"

"I don't know!" said the pilot. "She's not responding, and I can't access the AI core diagnostics."

"We have a primarch on the ship, Mister. Now is not the time to have a malfunction!"

Kaidan checked on a control panel nearby. "Most of the systems are down. The ship is dead in the water."

"Goddammit!"

"We should get to the AI core," said Kaidan. "Worst comes to worst, do a hard reset on the systems."

"Better get moving. If a Reaper shows up right now..."

Shepard didn't need to paint the full picture. They both knew the inevitable result. The Normandy would be pulverized, no summit, no reinforcement to Palaven, and no help would ever reach Earth.

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, AI Core

The door to the AI core was locked. Shepard couldn't believe her luck.

"Goddammit..." This word had been on her lips pretty often lately. Shepard glared at the locked door, resisting the temptation of smashing the lock.

"Let me," said Kaidan who gently pushed her aside and began to hack the panel. "Do you smell it?" he asked after a moment. "Smoke... Could be electric fire."

Shepard grabbed a fire extinguisher nearby, wary of the situation. If the ship couldn't detect a minor fire and contain it, how could she fly across star systems?

Suddenly, she heard some hissing noise from within. "Heard that?"

"Sounds like fire extinguisher," said Kaidan. "Someone's inside?"

"Can't be. Chakwas said no one came by."

With a subtle beep, the red lock turned green. The door opened. Heavy smoke filled more than half of the room, slowly seeping toward the door. With the usual hums from the machines all gone, the AI core was eerily quiet.

"EDI?" Shepard tried her luck, hoping it was just all just a glitch. The last thing she needed was being stranded in the middle of nowhere, while Earth and Palaven were both being decimated by the Reapers.

There was no verbal response from the AI. Instead, all of a sudden, the machines booted up by themselves. Green lights started to blink all across the panels as the systems restarted, faint low hums began to echo through the tiny chamber.

"EDI?" Shepard tried again. "Talk to me."

"What do you wish to discuss?" came the AI's voice, finally.

Somewhat relieved, Shepard asked, "What the hell is going on?"

Then, she heard footsteps from within the heavy smoke screen.

What Shepard saw was something she'd never expected.

Shepard stared as a figure emerged from the smoke. An adult human female by its shape, yet it was not a human. Nor any other living, breathing being. Its metallic surface was no longer charred from previous encounter – an encounter Shepard would never, ever forget.

The 'woman' in front was none other than Eva Core.

"There was an... accident." Core's mouth moved, yet the voice was EDI's.

"You..." Shepard pulled out her gun faster than anyone could blink. "EDI, force field! Now!"

"I assure you it's not necessary," said the metallic woman, the voice was both still very much EDI's.

 _What the..._ Shepard had a hard time accepting the fact right in front of her eyes.

"Aerin, wait," said Kaidan, who recovered from the shock. He put a hand on Shepard's gun and pushed it down. "EDI?"

"Yes?"

"Is that... you?"

"Yes."

"...You're in Doctor Core's body," Kaidan pointed out the obvious. Yet the obvious was a tough pill for Shepard to swallow.

"Not all of me," said the AI, examining her own hand with utmost curiosity. "But I have control of it. It was not a seamless transition."

"Wait... what the hell happened?" asked Kaidan. "You blacked out on us for a while there."

Still speechless, Shepard could only watch as the AI folded her arms very much human-like.

"Correct," said EDI. "When we brought this unit on board, I began a background process to search for its information on the Prothean device. This eventually triggered a trap – a backup power source and CPU activated. And then the unit attempted physically confrontation. Fortunately, I was able to gain root access and repurpose it as I saw fit. During this process, it... struggled. Thus, the fire."

Perhaps it was the slightly awkward movements, or perhaps it was EDI's familiar speech pattern, Shepard finally convinced herself the woman in front wasn't the same as the one who had almost killed her back on Mars.

"That's dangerous, EDI," Shepard chided, holstering her weapon. "You need to alert us about incidents like this."

"You shouldn't have done this alone," Kaidan added.

"Bringing the crew up to speed would have been counterproductive," said EDI. "All attempts to help would have been limited by reaction time."

"She has a point," said Kaidan to Shepard.

"This platform could provide limited fire ground support," the AI told them. "This body could accompany you to areas the Normandy cannot reach. For optimal control, this unit should remain within Normandy's broadcast or tightbeam range."

Another crew... As shorthanded as they currently were, anyone was welcome. Even if it had the body of someone who had tried to kill her not too long ago.

"Whatever done is done." Shepard eyed the metallic woman in front of her for a brief moment, then announced, "Before I let you out of this room, I need you to guarantee this mech doesn't have anymore surprises in it."

"Run whatever tests you can, EDI," said Kaidan, "then we can talk about using it in combat situations."

"One moment – I am running trials." EDI shifted and became absolute still for a second. "Complete." She then returned to a more natural stance. "I can send you a full report if you wish. However, my first step should be restoring functionality to the Normandy to reassure the crew that all is normal."

 _'Normal.'_

Kaidan then told the AI, "Just... don't be surprised if the crew is a little wary of the new body."

EDI cocked her head to the side as if she was confused.

"Well, it was shooting at us a little while ago," Kaidan explained.

"An excellent point," said the AI.

Something still bugged Shepard. "Did Joker know about this?" she asked suspiciously.

"No," said EDI. "I will take it to the bridge. Jeff will want to see it."

"Joker is going to have a field day," Kaidan commented under his breath after EDI was gone. "An AI in a body like that? That lucky bastard's fantasy has come true."

Shepard arched an eyebrow at him.

The major merely deflected with a tiny disarming smile. "I prefer organics."

* * *

A/N: Things are moving fast, because, you know, the Reapers aren't going to wait.

Thanks for reading! And thank you for your constant support!

Contact info: gmail – pinoko19, tumblr – pinoko-k.


	9. Chapter 8: Summit

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chapter 8: Summit

Year: 2186CE

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, Main Battery

Calibrating a giant gun to was a never-ending work – aiming for an optimal output, squeezing just 0.01% improvement, all was an endless chase for perfection. A perfection that could turn the tide in a battle. Killing the enemy with just one shot, or letting them slip by and retaliate.

And so, even when the Normandy had docked at the Citadel, Garrus had no intention to leave, not until he found the elusive optimal point he had been chasing all morning.

He didn't mind the work, though. The main battery, as dimmed and cramped as it might seem to others, was a sanctuary for Garrus Vakarian. His work allowed him to focus on something other than all the troubles out there. Troubles were brewing everywhere nowadays, with a giant one just around the corner. A shit storm was fast approaching, and it was scheduled to arrive in a form of a summit that might either save both Palaven and Earth, or start a second war. And the location of said summit? None other than the conference room one deck above.

Of all the places they could pick as a neutral meeting location, Dalatress Linron and Wrex chose the Normandy – a place where neither party could bug or set up an ambush. Shepard was none too pleased with that decision, Garrus knew. Still, she had to play along. Lately, having no choice seemed to be the only choice the commander had.

"Hand me the rag, would you?" said Shepard, standing by the table Garrus had set up for weapon maintenance. Her own rifle had been taken apart piece by piece, each part now lined up neatly on the table in a particular order, from left to right.

This was the last place the captain of the ship was expected to be just before hosting the summit that would change history one way or another. Yet, here Shepard was, idly cleaning her gun as though it was just another day. Garrus knew better, though. Underneath her seemingly calm surface lied a hidden turbulence. And if his sanctuary could provide a place for her to breathe, Garrus was more than happy to share.

"Here." Garrus tossed the rag to her. Shepard caught it without looking and resumed her cleaning ritual.

For a brief, peaceful moment, the twins worked in silence – one polishing a smaller gun, while the other calibrating a much bigger one.

The peaceful moment didn't last long, though. The door to their sanctuary opened. Lights from the hallway outside flooded into the dimmed room, both twins turned their attention to the intruder in unison.

"There you are," said Liara to Shepard as she stepped in. "Wrex is on his way to the dock."

 _Here comes the first wave of the storm._

Shepard put down the rag with a tired sigh. "I'll be right there."

"So," said Garrus as casually as he could, "where is the nearest bunker?"

"You've survived a Reaper invasion, Vakarian," said Shepard, putting her rifle back together. Her fingers worked faster than anyone Garrus had seen. "A summit couldn't be worse than that."

 _Sure it could_ , Garrus managed to keep those words to himself. Yet a glimpse at Shepard's face told him she was thinking the exact words.

"Are you ready for the summit?" he asked.

"No," Shepard replied quickly and bluntly while she snapped the last piece of gun back in its place. "I'm a soldier, Garrus, not a politican."

"Why can't you be both?" Garrus shrugged. "Like Victus. You said it yourself – at a time like this, we need a leader who has gone through hell. And you've certainly been through hell more than a few times."

That earned him a glare, though it was anything but menacing. "I hate it when you use my words against me." Resigned to her fate, Shepard then turned to their asari friend. "Anything you can tell me, Liara? The last thing I want is to start another war."

"Victus is a soldier, you speak his language," said Liara. "And we know Wrex. The only one you have to watch out for is the dalatress."

"The 'Queen Bee,'" Garrus commented. "They don't call her that because of the resemblance."

Frowning, Shepard then asked, "What do you know about the dalatress?"

"More than you want to know," said the Shadow Broker with a tiny mysterious smile.

Sometimes, Garrus forgot about the powers the once-timid archeologist now held. If Doctor T'Soni wanted to start a war, all she needed was ten minutes.

"But I assume you're not interested in her private life." Liara then continued with a more serious tone, "Dalatress Linron recently won an election – barely, though. The dalatress of the rival Narra clan is always waiting for a chance to strike back. If Dalatress Narra could secure the loyalty of the STG, a coup would just be around the corner."

Shepard snorted. "We are at war with the Reapers, and all they can think about is backstabbing each other?"

"Sadly," said Liara, "their shorter lifespans often make them short-sighted."

"So is Tevos," Shepard pointed out with a frown, "and she is probably pushing one thousand."

"Come on, Shepard. Stop stalling," said Garrus. "You have a summit to hold, and I have a giant gun to calibrate."

"If things go south," said the commander as she exited, "save me a spot in your bunker."

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2

"Shepard!"

"Wrex."

The krogan gave her a hearty pat strong enough to break a few bones.

"Thanks for coming early," said Shepard, leading her old friend down the hall toward the conference room. "I want to talk to you before the summit."

"I know what you need, but I can't give it to you. Not for free."

 _Of course not._ Shepard swallowed a sigh. "Let's cut to the chase. What's your price?"

"You know what I want: A cure for genophage."

Shepard stopped dead in her tracks. "You've gotta be kidding me..."

The look he gave her said otherwise.

"And where the hell am I gonna find this cure?" said Shepard in exasperation. "Do I look like a scientist to you?"

"You're not. But Maelon is."

"Maelon?" Shepard frowned at a name she hadn't heard for a while. "Mordin's student? He found a cure?"

"Not yet," Wrex admitted.

The horror she'd witnessed in the abandon hospital remained fresh in her mind. Shepard could almost smell the antiseptic. "All the females he tested on died, I remember."

"Not all." The krogan chief glanced around to make sure they were alone before he continued, "Some of them survived his experiments. They are immune to the genophage, Shepard. If we could find them, we could find a cure."

"Find them? Where are they now?"

"Ask your salarian guest." Booting up his omni-tool, Wrex showed Shepard a vid from a surveillance camera. Female krogan were kept like prisoners, each in one tiny cell. Outside their confinements, salarian scientists walked around with datapads, observing the dejected krogan like some sort of lab animals.

"My god... What the hell happened?"

"The dalatress kidnapped them, Shepard."

"The dalatress?" Shepard scowled. "That's a serious accusation. You sure about she's behind this?"

The krogan growled. "Of course I am! I'm old, but I'm not senile."

"I need to be certain, Wrex. Because damn if we're going to start a new war when we're already in the middle of one." She stared at him in the eyes and demanded, "Where did you get this vid?"

"I have my sources."

"Liara?"

"Nah..."

"Wrex." Using a person's name as a warning was a trick Shepard had learned, although she wasn't too certain if it'd work on krogan, much less a centuries-old one.

Apparently, it worked. The krogan chief finally revealed, "You know him, too, Shepard. He's weird – even for a salarian, but I trust him. Because you did."

A particular singing salarian scientist came to her mind. "...Mordin?"

Wrex nodded.

"Son of a bitch..."

"You owe me one, Shepard. Back on Virmire, when you destroyed Saren's lab-"

"I promised I'd help you find a cure. Yes, I remember."

"Good. Now is the time."

The snowball of troubles kept rolling – first Earth, then Palaven, now the genophage. Genophage, a touchy subject for both krogan and salarians, and now it's on the negotiation table as the ultimate bargaining chip. Shepard swallowed a curse and continued her way to the conference room.

Still, if she could pull this one off, maybe – just maybe – something good could come out of this senseless war after all.

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, Conference Room

"The krogan is in no position to make demands!" said Dalatress Linron.

"The 'krogan' has a name." Wrex jabbed a finger at the dalatress. "Urdnot Wrex. And I'm not some junkyard varren you unleash whenever you're in trouble."

The stake was high. Without the cure, without krogan reinforcement, Palaven would fall, so would Earth... With her arms folded, her jaw clenched, Shepard observed the history unfolded in silence.

"I've got my own problems," claimed Wrex. "Reaper scouts have arrived on Tuchanka. So why should I care if a few turians go extinct?"

"Trying to draw out negotiations will get you nowhere, Wrex," said Primarch Victus. "I have no time for it. Just tell us what you want."

"I'll tell you want I need," said Wrex. "A cure for the genophage."

Shepard braced for the inevitable outburst.

"Absolutely not!" exclaimed the dalatress. "The genophage is nonnegotiable!"

It was time to step in. Shepard broke her silence and asked, "Why are you so opposed to the idea, Dalatress?"

"Because my people uplifted the krogan," claimed the dalatress indignantly. "We know them best."

"You mean you used us," Wrex scoffed. "To fight a war you couldn't win! It wasn't the salarians or the asari or even the turians that stopped the rachni! It was krogan blood that turned the tide!"

The dalatress was quick to respond. "And after that you ceased to be useful! The genophage is the only way to keep your... 'urges' in check!"

Tightening her fists tugged under her folded arms, Shepard barely managed to resist her urge to smack the leader of the Salarian Union. Thankfully, the primarch stepped in before Shepard lost her temper.

"Dalatress," Victus started with a stern tone, "you may not like him, but Wrex is right. Insulting him won't change that."

"I won't apologize for speaking the truth!" said Linron. "We uplifted the krogan to do one thing: Wage war. It's all they know because it's all we wanted them to know!"

Shepard had enough of her attitude. "Your people should have thought the matter through, then. Was it really a surprise the krogan revolted?"

"That's precisely my point, Commander," said Linron. "We made a rash decision. We turned to the krogan in desperation. It's the same mistake you're about to make today. No good can come from curing the genophage."

"The krogan have paid for their mistakes," said Shepard. "The genophage has gone on long enough."

Wrex added, "One thousand four hundred and seventy-six years, if you're keeping track."

"It was a thousand years of peace," Linron pointed out, "free from these... brutes!"

"Enough!" Victus interrupted. Once again, the primarch voiced Shepard's opinion. "Whether or not they deserve a cure is academic. It would take years to formulate one."

"My information says otherwise," said Wrex.

 _Here it comes..._

All eyes turned to the krogan chief as he continued, "A salarian scientist, Maelon, grew a conscience. He was on my planet testing cure on our females."

"I was there," Shepard verified. "His methods were barbaric. Many females died because of his experiments."

"Some survived." Wrex pressed a few keys from a nearby console. The screen on the wall came alive, playing the surveillance vid Shepard had watched a moment ago. "So the dalatress here sent in a team to clean up the whole mess – and to take them prisoner."

"Where did you get this?" the dalatress demanded. "It could be a fabrication!"

"Don't insult me!" Wrex slammed his fists on the table. "Those are my people! They're immune to the genophage, and you're going to give them back!"

"Dalatress," said Primarch Victus, narrowing his eyes, "is this true?"

The dalatress didn't answer to that. That was as good as a silent 'yes.' Instead, she had the audacity to ask, "How will curing the genophage benefit my people?"

"You need allies," Shepard pointed out bluntly. "How long do you think you'll last alone against the Reapers? Because if you don't help, that's how it'll end up!"

Nodding, Victus added, "And I'll be the last friendly turian you ever see."

Linron stepped back from the other three as far as she could, taking a precious few seconds to consider her options. It was a dying struggle, a futile attempt to regain control.

Shepard knew a defeated face when she saw one. One more push... Planting her palms on the table, Shepard leaned forth and glared at the dalatress. "What's it going to be?"

The dalatress shook her head and revealed, "The females are being kept at one of our STG bases on Sur'Kesh."

 _Finally, a location._ Shepard shared a look with Wrex, then turned to leave the conference room.

"But I warn you, Commander!" said the dalatress. "The consequences of this will be felt for centuries to come!"

If there's anything she hated, it's an empty threat. Shepard whipped around and snapped, "It'll be nothing compared to what happens if the Reapers win!"

"Let's go get it," said Wrex.

"You're not setting foot on Sur'Kesh!" said the dalatress. "This will take time to—"

"It happens now!" Victus cut her short. "As a Council Spectre, Shepard can oversee the exchange."

Nodding, Shepard announced, "We're going."

"I won't forget this, Commander!" the dalatress warned as the other three left the table. "A bully has few friends when he needs them most!"

Tossing a look over her shoulder, Shepard enjoyed the view of a steaming dalatress for a second. "Enjoy your position while you can. Once Dalatress Narra gets a copy of the vid..."

Linron froze. "You wouldn't..."

Shepard left without another word.

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, CIC

"Kaidan," a voice called from behind. Liara's, Kaidan recognized.

"What's up?"

The look on Liara's face was grim. "I've intercepted some messages."

"More bad news?"

"Grissom Academy is requesting help. The Reaper invasion front will hit them soon."

"Oh god..."

Grissom Academy. A place he had often visited in the past few months to recruit biotic kids. A place he probably would have been sent to for trainings, had it been opened twenty years ago.

"No reinforcements from the Alliance?" asked Kaidan.

"None," Liara replied. "At first I thought it's because the Alliance is already spread too thin. But I found another message." She handed him a datapad. "A turian evac support responded to their distress call. But something sounded off in the turian signal. I had EDI perform an analysis. It's fake."

"It's possible the signal came from Cerberus," said EDI through the comm. "It was similar to one that lured Shepard to the Collector ship."

Liara nodded. "Whoever fakes the signal want us to think Grissom Academy is being evacuated."

"That means they are still in danger," Kaidan concluded with a frown. "What does Cerberus want with the students?"

"Humans with exceptional biotic powers could be some of the most dangerous soldiers." Liara gave him a knowing look. "Like yourself."

More than once, Kaidan had seen glimpses of his younger self in one of those kids in the academy. He'd talked to them, watched them learn, even knew many by names. They were eager to prove themselves, hoping one day to join the Alliance, to fight, and perhaps, even to be recruited into the spec ops program. But now...

He glanced at the close door that led to the summit currently taking place. The fates of Earth and Palaven were hanging in balance, but so were the lives of the students in Grissom.

"I'll send words to the Alliance immediately," said Kaidan. What more could he do but to hope for the best?

"The instructors are in the academy with the students," said Liara. "They are not entirely defenseless. They can hold out against Cerberus for a while longer until reinforcements arrive."

An unlikely friend came to his mind – a biotic who had been kidnapped and experimented on as a kid, who was now teaching at Grissom.

"No." No more Jacks, Kaidan determined.

He couldn't save those he had left behind on Earth, perhaps he could save those in the academy.

Liara studied him. "Then what is your plan?"

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, Captain's Cabin

"You what?" Shepard stared at Kaidan, frowning in disbelief.

The commander's reaction was expected.

"It shouldn't take long," Kaidan assured her. "I'll check out the academy to make sure the kids are okay, then I'll meet you back here in the Citadel."

The knot between her brows tightened further as she stepped back and paced to her desk. Kaidan let her take a moment to think, to digest, and then to accept.

"Did you inform the Alliance?" asked Shepard after a brief pause.

"Yes. But Earth is under constant attack, they can't spare any fleet."

"You sure it's Cerberus?"

"Liara thinks so. The signal is similar to the one the Illusive Man used to lure you to the Collector ship."

"...Goddammit," she mumbled under her breath. "It's always Cerberus..."

"I'm sorry, Aerin. I know it's a terrible time to take off, but those kids in Grissom... they're sitting ducks."

Shepard didn't reply.

Unfazed by her silence, Kaidan continued, "Sur'kesh shouldn't be a problem. Wrex is an one-man army."

"I'm worried about you." She shot him a pointed look, which was softened almost immediately when her eyes met his. "...When are you leaving?"

"Next flight out, which is tomorrow morning."

Again, Shepard returned to her silent mode, but Kaidan knew the wheels inside her head were spinning.

"All right," she eventually agreed as she approached him once again. "But you're not going alone. Take James with you."

Kaidan wasn't about to turn down any help. "Okay."

"And bring Miranda," Shepard added. "If Cerberus is involved, she can help you."

"She's not with the Alliance." That was just an excuse.

"You can trust her, Kaidan."

"I can't guarantee her safety." Yet another excuse, a flimsy one.

The truth was, he trusted Miranda Lawson more than he'd ever admit. And because of this trust, he wanted Lawson to stay with Shepard – to help her, and, god forbid, should there be another assassination attempt, to save her.

"You don't have to," Shepard insisted. "Miranda can take care of herself. But I need you to guarantee yours."

He couldn't. So all he could give her was a tiny warm smile.

Shepard reached out to touch the side of his face. Her hand was warm, her touch soft. "Come back in one piece, Major. That's an order."

"Aye, aye, ma'am." Smiling, he pulled her in his arms and felt her melt against him. One thing the war had taught him was to appreciate every single good thing in his life, even if it's just a hug. Because it could be the last.

Planting a kiss on the top of her head, Kaidan wondered out loud, "You know, maybe when we get back, we could carve out a few hours, just the two of us, here on Citadel..."

Shepard glanced up at him, sparkles returned to her eyes. "You asking me out on a date?"

"Well..." He found himself staring at her. "When was our last date? A year ago?"

"Seven months. On Illium."

"Feels like a lifetime. It's overdue, don't you think?"

A rare smile played on her lips, where he planted his next kiss.

Even when the world was ending, even in the darkest hour, there was light. And she was his.

* * *

A/N: The team is splitting up. Shepard with Team SR-1, while Kaidan goes with Team SR-2. Wonder which team racks up a higher body counts. I'm guessing Team SR-1 mainly because of Wrex.

Thanks for reading!

Contact info: gmail – pinoko19, tumblr – pinoko-k.


	10. Chapter 9: Grissom Academy

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chapter 9: Grissom Academy

Year: 2186CE

Location: Shuttle

"Do you really think their plan will work?" Miranda asked the man sitting next to her.

Kaidan Alenko didn't immediately reply. Normally, the major would be the first to defend Commander Shepard's decision. His silence spoke volume.

They were in the middle of a war with the Reapers, and Shepard was on a quest to find a cure for the genophage. A fool's errand, in Miranda's opinion, trying to solve a problem that had existed for a millennium.

"What choice do we have?" said Kaidan eventually.

 _Either go along with the plan, or watch the Reapers annihilate Earth._

Miranda didn't envy Shepard's position. Being stuck between a rock and a hard place, with the weight of humanity once again dumped on her shoulders, it's a miracle Shepard had yet to break.

"How's our commander holding up?" asked Miranda.

"She's not sleeping well," Kaidan told her. "Nightmares."

This was hardly surprising. As perfect of a war machine as she was, Aerin Shepard was still merely a human. Flesh and blood. And no one knew this better than Miranda.

"This is going to be a long war. Keep an eye on her."

Kaidan didn't seem to mind the unnecessary reminder. He merely shot her a knowing glance, then nodded. They both knew the implication – without Shepard, this might be a very short war.

"Oh shit," James mumbled from the copilot seat. "You seeing what I'm seeing, Esteban?"

Then came Steve Cortez's quiet confirmation. "At least a dozen of them on sensors."

 _What now?_ Both biotics stood in alert.

"What's going on?" asked Kaidan.

"Found those assholes who answered the distress call," James told them. "At least a dozen fighters on blockade duty."

Miranda checked the console. She recognized the signature immediately. _Son of a bitch._ "And a Cerberus cruiser."

"They must really want this place," commented James. "What are they gonna do with a bunch of biotic kids?"

 _You don't want to know._

"Receiving an incoming transmission," said Steve.

"Let's hear it," said the major.

"This is Kahlee Sanders, director of Grissom Academy. We need immediate assistance."

 _Sanders?_ Miranda knew the name well enough from Cerberus reports she had read, although she had yet to meet the woman.

"Lieutenant Sanders, this is Kaidan Alenko."

"Kaidan? Why are you here? Never mind that. Cerberus is attacking the facility. They're after my students."

"We're blocked on a direct approach."

"I know," said Sanders. "They've taken control of our docking bays."

"Any alternatives?"

"There's an auxiliary cargo port I could probably open."

"Cortez, can you sneak us in?"

"You got it, Major."

"We're coming in, Kahlee," said Kaidan, "Get your students ready."

How Cortez planned to sneak past dozen of fighters was beyond Miranda, but she wasn't about to question the pilot's skills. After checking the pilot's background, Miranda had long concluded that the unassuming man might just be as talented as Jeff Moreau. And that might be the reason Shepard had insisted Steve to accompany them on this mission.

Kaidan sank back down onto the seat next to her. "This is worse than I thought."

"A station full of Cerberus troops," said Miranda. "If you're asking for my advice, just shoot them, or crush them with your biotics. We can't clear this place by ourselves, so don't even think about playing the hero."

"Agree. Our priority is the safety of the students."

For once, Miranda was glad her partner in this mission was the level-headed major, not the commander with hero complex.

There was another thoughtful pause before Kaidan spoke again, "Look, anything could happen in battles. If I'm not around-"

Miranda knew what was coming, but she wasn't about to let him finish. "Don't let Aerin go through what you've been through," she cut him off, her tone cold as ice.

She caught a wince in the man's eyes before he looked away.

It might be harsh, but necessary. As ridiculous as it sounded, the galaxy seemed to make a habit of depending on Commander Shepard. While Miranda might be able to reconstruct a dead Shepard from a burnt corpse, but a distraught and heartbroken commander? No amount of medigel could fix that.

There was nothing but dead silence for a brief moment. Then, to her surprise, Kaidan admitted quietly, "...It was hell. My biotics went out of control when I found out she wasn't in the escape shuttle."

It was all he said, yet, somehow Miranda understood. The powers they had within their veins, the disciplines needed to control them at all times, normal people would never comprehend.

"Good thing our commander is not a biotic, then," Miranda commented. "I'd hate to see the amount of destruction Aerin would cause because of your death."

"Enough to kill a Reaper?"

"Just one? I'm thinking an army of them." She then added airily, "Try not to die. I'm curious to see what Commander Shepard looks like in a wedding dress."

That brought a faint chuckle from the stoic man despite their topic. "Yeah..." said Kaidan with a faraway, longing look. "You know, me too."

* * *

Location: Grissom Academy

"Attention all students," the voice of a male announcer blasted throughout the Academy through the comm system, oblivious to the battle taking place in the middle of a hallway. "Cerberus troops have taken control of this station. We have no desire to hurt you."

"Vega, behind you!" Kaidan warned, lifting the would-be assailant up in the air.

James' bullets took down the floating target, who dropped onto the floor with a loud thump. A crack in the skull with his assault rifle finished off one of the last enemies.

The chilling message never stopped. "Surrender, and you will not be harmed. Resist, and we can't guarantee your safety."

Kaidan reined in his biotics as the bodies of two Cerberus troops slid from the wall he had smashed them onto. Dead or heavily injured, Kaidan didn't care. First priority was extraction, then escape.

"That's the last of them," said Miranda, who was still glowing bright with her power.

Kaidan scanned around the hallway. He knew this place well enough from his multiple trips here in the past six months.

"This way." He led them down towards the Ascension Wing, where the security office would be.

Grissom Academy. It was what Jump Zero should have been, where Kaidan and his young biotic friends would have been sent to had it existed two decades ago. Yet, deep down he knew, without learning from the mistakes of Jump Zero, there might not be an Ascension Project.

The last time Kaidan had walked down these halls was less than a month ago. And now, Cerberus had taken over. They'd managed to take down at least twenty Cerberus soldiers so far, but there were more. A lot more.

Kaidan pointed at a door to their right. "According to Sanders' message, she should be in there."

James rushed to it. "Locked."

"Lieutenant Sanders," yelled Kaidan. "This is Alenko. The coast is clear."

A few seconds later, the door opened.

"Major, thank you," said Kahlee Sanders, emerging from behind the desk. The older woman was a mother figure to all the students in the academy. This was the first time Kaidan had seen her with a weapon.

"You all right?" asked Kaidan.

"Yes, but the others... Cerberus is coming after my students."

"How many of you are there?"

"Fewer than twenty," said Sanders, putting down her gun with a tired sigh. "Most were sent home when word of the Reaper invasion spread. But a few volunteered to stay."

"We should be able to fit everyone in our shuttle," commented Miranda.

"This is Froeberg," a voice came from the comm. "There are students trapped in Orion Hall! Cerberus has us boxed in. They're closing fast!"

"Damn it!" said Sanders.

"We'll take care of it," Kaidan told her. "I'll bring them back here, and we'll make a run for the shuttle."

"Thank you, Kaidan. I'll stay put. With luck, I can regain control of some of our systems."

* * *

Location: Grissom Academy, Ascension Wing

"Holly Merizan, can you hear us?" Cerberus announcement continued to blast as the sounds of bullets and painful screams rang through the hall. "We found your mother and father. They're safe at a Cerberus sanctuary. Surrender, and you can see them again-"

Those endless propaganda messages were getting to her nerves. Miranda mentally blocked it out as she vented her frustration at her last target with her biotics.

"Can we shut him up?" asked James after the room was clear.

"Focus, Vega," said Kaidan before he led the way to Orion hall.

"We understand that you are scared." The announcer's voice came through the comm again. "Your teachers have filled your heads with Alliance propaganda. But Cerberus can keep you safe. We're the only ones who can."

Cerberus had once kept Miranda safe from her father. And she, naively and wholeheartedly, had once believe that they were the only ones who could...

"You are the best and the brightest that humanity has to offer," said the announcer. "Cerberus can give you the tools you need. You need us, and we need you... if our work is to succeed."

That sounded eerily like something the Illusive Man had once told Miranda decade ago when she'd first sought help from Cerberus. She'd dedicated her adult life his organization, and now, she was high on his hit list...

"Take a look at this." Kaidan handed her a datapad he'd found on the bench nearby.

Each word brought a chill down Miranda's spine. " _Capture priority Alpha. Bring back alive at all costs. Vital retrieval subject due to high-level biotic abilities paired with high leadership testing scores. Considered prime candidate for indoctrination and high-level enhancements for subsequent long-term infiltration relocation."_

"Indoctrination?" she mumbled to herself. _What the hell are you doing, Illusive Man?_

"And infiltration. Cerberus has done this before," stated Kaidan. It was not even a question.

"Not the missions I was involved with."

The expression on the man's face darkened. "How many of them are in the Alliance?"

 _Too many..._ But that wasn't the answer Alenko wanted to hear. "I don't have the number," Miranda replied with a shrug. "But if you want a list of my former contacts within the Alliance, you can have it. Most of them are probably dead by now with the Reapers killing thousands by the second."

"Over here!" yelled James. "A survivor!"

That stole the attention of the two biotics.

"Seanne Ballermine?" Kaidan rushed to the girl collapsed on the floor. "Seanne? Can you hear me?"

The girl struggled to sit up. "...Major Alenko? Thank god you're here. I tried to hold the shield, but..."

 _Biotic exhaustion_ , Miranda recognized the signs.

Without another word, Kaidan checked for injuries before applying medigel on the girl. Standing a few steps behind, Miranda observed, pondering. If the girl had been taken, she'd be another brain-washed Cerberus operative, buying whatever message the Illusive Man was selling.

 _Like yourself._

Miranda quieted that voice with a frown.

"Lieutenant Sanders is at security," Kaidan told Seanne once he was done. "Can you get to her?"

"Yeah... I just need to rest for a moment. Thank you."

The girl stood, and Miranda had a clear view of her. She was about the same age as Oriana. Same slender build, same dark hair. Miranda could almost see Oriana's features on the girl's face. This girl was safe, for now. Yet, somewhere out there, her sister was still missing.

 _Where the bloody hell are you, Ori?_

"Students," Kahlee Sanders' voice blasted throughout the hall. "If you can hear me, this is Kahlee Sanders. I am still alive, and help is coming."

"Looks like Sanders has regained control of the systems," said Miranda.

"Hallelujah," said James with an exaggerated sigh of relief. "No more Cerberus propaganda."

"Come on. Orion Hall is just ahead," said Kaidan, leading the way in a jog.

The silence was a welcoming break. With nothing but their rapid footsteps echoed down the hallway, Miranda found her mind starting to clear once again. The Cerberus messages had affected her more than she'd ever admit, for they blatantly reminded her of her past, of her mistakes in believing in the Illusive Man. And now her mistakes had come back and bitten her hard in the ass. Miranda had no problem settling her own scores, but if they ever touched her sister...

Kaidan stopped at a door at the end of the hallway and promptly unlocked it by overriding the security systems. Miranda followed him through, her gun already drawn. Trouble was expected, and it was exactly what greeted them in the middle of hall.

A group of Cerberus troops were closing in on a petite woman, who was standing protectively in front of two students. Miranda caught a quick glimpse of the woman's exposed lower back where her short jacket failed to cover. Her skin was completely covered with tattoos.

 _No way... Jack?_

"Eat this!" A familiar yell confirmed the identity as the woman blasted a powerful biotic attack towards the troopers, smashing them onto the wall, hard enough to leave a dent. "Stay away from my kids!"

"Jack!" Kaidan called out, rushing in.

Their former teammate whipped around. "Kaidan?" Jack's surprised looked turned into relief, then quickly switched to a scowl when her gaze landed on Miranda. "The hell is the cheer leader doing here?"

With her hair now grown out and a leather jacket that failed to cover her chest, Jack's look might have changed, but her attitude was as charming as ever.

"To save your ass, apparently," replied Miranda coolly, folding her arms.

Kaidan immediately stood between the two women. "We got the distress call."

"Kahlee said she was putting out an SOS," said Jack. "I had no idea you would show up. The kids are gonna have a bigger crush on you now, Alenko. Don't say I didn't warn you." She turned to the empty hall and yelled, "Coast is clear! Major Alenko is here to save your asses!"

The students that had been hiding now sprang out of their cover.

"All right, everyone! Amp check!" Jack took a step closer and jabbed a finger to one of the students' face. "Prangley, those fields were weak! Cerberus isn't gonna lie down out of pity like that girl you took to prom." She then told the rest of the students, "Grab juice and an energy bar. We move in five!"

Miranda watched in pure amazement as the students dispersed and did as they were told. Jack, the psychotic biotic who had been a pirate, a cultist, a prisoner, was now a teacher. And the kids actually listened to her...

"Sanders is in security," Kaidan told Jack. "We need to make a run for it. Our shuttle is waiting."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "What? No Normandy this time?"

"Aerin needs the ship."

A half smile spread on Jack's painted lips. "Ah. The Queen of the Girl Scouts is alive and kicking? Good! Not that I'm worried."

"Of course not," said Kaidan with a knowing look.

"Okay. Right now, all I care about is getting my guys out of here."

"Your guys?" Miranda had to jab.

Surprisingly, Jack merely chuckled. "Yeah. I guess so."

"I can't think of anyone who could care about them more," said Kaidan to Miranda.

"Cortez to extraction team," Steve's voice came to the radio. "The Cerberus cruiser is coming back. We need to move soon."

"How long have we got?" asked the major.

"Ten minutes, tops. After that, there is no way we'll get past them."

"Understood." He then turned to Jack. "We have less than ten minutes."

"Kids!" yelled Jack. "Break time's over. I didn't bust my ass training you so you could die now. We're getting the f- hell out of this place!"

* * *

Location: Shuttle

"No sign of pursue," James reported. "Nice job, Esteban."

"Thank you, Steve," said Kaidan, allowing himself to relax for once since leaving the Normandy.

"Glad I could help," the humble pilot replied. "Setting a course to the mass relay."

"This isn't the Normandy," said James. "It'll take a while. Might as well sit back and relax."

Kaidan followed the lieutenant's advice and returned to his seat. Next to him, Jack thoughtfully watched her students chatting among themselves.

"Until a few months ago," Jack started, "their biggest concern was getting laid. And now..."

Kaidan had to ask. "Are they ready for war?"

"I don't think they have a choice."

That was too true.

"Listen, Alenko. Thanks for coming. I never had a family. And these guys..." Her gaze softened when she looked at her students. Then came a sudden harsh scowl. "Anyone screws with my students, I will tear them apart."

Kaidan never doubted that. "They look better than I last saw them."

"We've been working on conditioning, improving endurance," Jack told him, beaming proudly. "Whenever they complain, I tell them about the Collector base. Throwing husks around, making shockwaves all over the place..."

"The barrier you held was pretty impressive."

"Shit, I was drained," Jack admitted, then made a face. "Ugh, I kept thinking, 'Damn, let the salarian handle this! He can talk 'em to death.'"

"I still can't believe we made it out there alive."

"Fu- for sure. We were waiting for you guys on the Normandy. We thought the Collectors got you. Guess we're all hard to kill, especially our big damn hero. Where's Shepard anyway?"

"She should be on Sur'kesh by now."

"Sur'kesh?" Jack scowled in confusion. "The hell is she doing there?"

"Long story..."

* * *

Location: Kodiak Shuttle

"This is the salarian homeworld we're headed to," said Shepard to her team – more like her oldest and most trusted friends. Garrus, Liara, and Wrex. They'd all been with her through thick and thin. "They aren't used to seeing krogan here, so let's keep it simple. We land, get the females, and leave before anyone changes their mind."

Checking his shotgun for the third time, Wrex scoffed. "I still don't trust a word they say."

"Let diplomacy play out, Wrex," Shepard replied. "But if they start backtracking, the angry krogan act couldn't hurt."

The krogan chief gave her a sly look. "Who said anything about acting?"

"Just... try to keep it verbal."

"These females are the best, and probably the last hope for my people!"

"We'll bring them back, Wrex," promised Liara soothingly. "Don't worry."

"I appreciate that, Liara," said Wrex, smiling at the doctor. "I wouldn't want anyone else along for the ride."

Nearby, Garrus coughed deliberately.

The krogan chief turned his attention to the turian sniper. "I suppose I could make room for you too, Garrus," said Wrex, chuckling.

"Figured you've gone soft sitting on your throne," Garrus jabbed. "Forgot how to hold a gun."

Wrex was not at all insulted. Instead, he snorted a chuckle. "Let's see who has a higher kill count."

"You're on, Wrex," answered Garrus almost too quickly. "Just like the old days."

"We're on a diplomatic mission, people," Shepard reminded them both. "Like I said, keep it simple."

Wrex turned back to Garrus, then blatantly jabbed a thumb at Shepard's direction and said, "This is what happens when you get old."

"Not as old as you, fossil," said Shepard without thinking.

The giant krogan only laughed. "That's more like it. Thought you'd gone soft, Princess."

A smile found its way to Shepard's face. They might be in the middle of a war, they might not even make it to the next day. But as long as Shepard was fighting alongside her friends, it was all she could ask for.

* * *

A/N: Kaidan, Miranda, and Jack. They bounce off each other well enough for me to do this split. Then, of course, you have the classic Shepard, Garrus, and Wrex team. More to come.

Thanks for reading! And thank you for the review!

Contact info: gmail – pinoko19, tumblr – pinoko-k.


	11. Chapter 10: Krogan's Last Hope

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chapter 10: Krogan's Last Hope

Year: 2186CE

Location: Sur'Kesh, Salarian Base, Entrance

"This whole planet smells wrong," Wrex grumbled the moment his feet landed on salarian soil.

Shepard glanced around. Tall trees, lush vegetation, various shades of green extended to the horizon. If anything, Sur'Kesh was pretty to look at. The surrounding areas reminded Shepard of Earth – the Amazon rainforest, in specific, where she had spent more than enough time in for a survival course. That was more than a decade ago. Shepard had to wonder what the Amazon looked like now. For centuries, even millenniums, it had remained green. But now, the untouched, protected jungle was at the mercy of the Reapers...

Shepard grimaced at that thought.

"You've waiting for this day long enough, Wrex," said Garrus.

"A lifetime," Wrex replied, his tone unusually quiet. Although that didn't last long. The krogan gave Shepard a nudge with his elbow. "Who would've thought back on Virmire we'd be standing here doing this together?"

Virmire. Three years ago. Wrex, Garrus, Liara, Kaidan... _And Ash._ Unconsciously, Shepard glanced up into the sky at the thought of Ashley Williams. The cloudless sky was as blue as that day in Virmire. That day, she'd been forced to make a choice: Alenko or Williams. _No_ , Shepard immediately corrected herself, it was about the bomb, about destroying the facility, about stopping Saren's krogan army.

"Halt!"

Shepard snapped out of her reverie in a flash, only to find a salarian soldier had rushed to greet them with a gun pointing right at them.

"I told you the salarians can't be trusted!" chided Wrex, who then suddenly glowed in blue and knocked the soldier away with his biotics, all before Shepard could even utter a word.

So much for a diplomatic mission.

The salarian welcoming party instantly responded in kind. Soldiers with assault rifles poured in, snipers stationed at the roof top had Wrex under their crosshairs.

 _Goddammit!_

"Stand down!" warned Shepard, although her hand was itching to reach for her own rifle. "I am Aerin Shepard, Council Spectre, and I suggest you put away your guns. Now."

"Hold your fire!" a voice yelled from afar. A salarian commander rushed to the scene and told his soldiers, "Stand down. The dalatress has authorized their visit." He quickly turned to Shepard and explained, "Commander Shepard, I'm Padok Wiks. We only found out about this transfer a few moments ago."

It'd been two days since the summit. Was the dalatress too busy to send a message, or was she reluctant to do so until the very last minute? Somehow, Shepard doubt it was the former. If both Shepard and Wrex were somehow killed in a 'misunderstanding,' genophage cure would not be released.

 _Careful now, Shepard._ "I'd like to avoid a diplomatic incident."

"As would we," said Wiks, waving his soldiers back. "I appreciate your understanding, Commander. With war on everyone's mind, our people are on edge."

"Then it's in both of our interests for us to make this quick."

"Of course," the salarian agreed. "I hope we can resolve this matter without reenacting the Krogan Rebellions. Now, please follow me."

 _Get in, get the females, and get the hell out._

"This is where all you salarians come from, huh?" said Wrex as they walked through the station. "No wonder you're so soft. Too busy writing poetry about waterfalls."

"Wrex," muttered Shepard under her breath.

Liara diverted the topic quickly. "What kind of work goes on here?"

"Evolutionary trials," Wiks told her. "Morphological simulators. Exogenetic assessments."

"Nothing is ever simple with salarians," said Garrus to Shepard.

Wiks was not at all offended. "Science has always been our best defense," he told them with a proud smile. "The research we do here has kept Sur'kesh safe for millennia."

"So why were the females sent here?" asked Shepard.

"They were in poor health when we found them on Tuchanka," Wiks replied. "They were brought here to stabilize their condition."

"After you kidnapped them," Wrex grunted.

"Wrex," warned Shepard again, louder this time.

"It's all right, Commander," said Wiks. "I differ from most of my colleagues. Curing the genophage will bring closure to this issue."

Shepard couldn't help but raised an eyebrow.

"In the future," Padok Wiks continued, "the krogan may yet play some role we can't even imagine. We should let the evolutionary process decide who lives and dies, not galactic politics."

"Commander Shepard," someone called out.

It was a face Shepard hadn't seen for three years. "Captain Kirrahe?"

"It's Major Kirrahe," Wiks corrected her. "I'll need to clear you for the lower levels. Meet me near the elevator ahead, Commander."

"I'd heard you were coming." The major approached, extending a hand which Shepard took for a hearty shake.

"Good to see you again," said Shepard, her mood had been lifted considerably. "Sounds like you've been promoted."

"Yes, due in no small part to our mission on Virmire." Major Kirrahe then recited his famous line, "'Hold the line.' You saved my men that day."

 _But I lost mine._

"Good to see a friendly face, Major," said Garrus, shaking the other man's hand.

"Garrus Vakarian, always a pleasure. Same to you, Dr. T'Soni and Urdnot Wrex."

Wrex, however, merely grunted and wandered away.

Swallowing a sigh, Shepard sent a quick look to Garrus, who immediately followed Wrex to keep the krogan from starting a war, with Liara alongside to provide a much needed softer touch.

"Sorry about that," said Shepard.

Kirrahe didn't seem to mind. He waved a hand and told her, "Your standoff with Urdnot Wrex is legend within STG."

"Still don't know how I managed to negotiate with a shotgun jabbing at my throat."

"With your own gun pointing at his," the major recalled and reminisced, "It seems the Reapers have a way of bringing us together."

 _The Reapers..._ "Are the salarians prepared for the war with the Reapers?"

"I've heard what they're doing to your Earth," said Kirrahe, shaking his head. "I'm not sure any species can prepare for that. Though rumors suggest you're building a superweapon of some kind?"

The Special Tasks Group. They seemed to know everything about anything.

"This business with the females is part of it," Shepard admitted, although vague about the details. "I need the turians' support, and they need the krogan's."

"And the krogan want the genophage cure."

Shepard nodded.

"Which is why I never became a diplomat. Too much hand-holding. Leave it to the dalatresses." The major gave Shepard a long look. "Ironic. You destroyed the genophage cure, yet now it's the key to an alliance."

Perhaps before he was a no-nonsense soldier, perhaps because they had fought alongside each other, Shepard knew she could get a straight answer from Kirrahe. "Tell me. Why are the females kept here?"

"For medical treatments," replied the major. "I led the team on Tuchanka that found the females. Nasty business." Kirrahe shook his head, grimacing at his own memories. "Maelon may have meant well, but his operation was crude. Test subjects were unaccounted for. The females easily escaped his lab."

Shepard frowned at this new information. "They weren't kidnapped?"

"My orders were to rescue and bring them back."

"Orders issued by the dalatress."

The major didn't correct Shepard's guess.

No matter how the politicians dressed up an order – whether it was kidnap or rescue, the soldiers had to complete the mission. No questions asked.

"I've heard rumors about a summit on an Alliance ship." Kirrahe paused, then looked around him before he continued in a low voice, "Regardless of what the politicians decide, you can count on my support retaking Earth."

Shepard raised an eyebrow, surprised by the generous offer. "You'd do that?"

Kirrahe nodded. "Consider it my way of returning a favor. It would be an honor to fight alongside you again, Commander."

"Likewise, Major," said Shepard, smiling.

The day had begun to look just a bit brighter.

* * *

Location: Salarian Base, Lower Level

A station-wide alarm sounded just as Shepard stepped out of the elevator. An announcement over the comm systems promptly followed, "Alert! Threat condition two has been declared. Scramble readiness teams."

Shepard scowled. "Now what?"

"Another salarian trap," said Wrex.

Scientists jumped out of their chairs, hurrying around their neatly organized lab, yelling one order or another.

"Secure all data to offsite location!"

"Put all research subjects into immediate lockdown."

"Varren secure."

"Vorcha secure."

Shepard stopped one of the scientists and asked, "What's going on?"

"Sensors have picked up activity on the perimeter," he told her, then immediately rushed to carry out his orders.

"Reapers?" asked Liara.

"Hope not," said Shepard.

Nearby a scientist reported to his superior, "All specimens are accounted for, sir."

The older salarian stepped away from his assistants and waved at Shepard. "Shepard! Excellent timing!"

"Look who we have here..." Garrus mumbled, amused.

Eyes widened, Shepard was genuinely surprised to see another familiar face within the same base. "Mordin?"

"Eyesight still sharp," the professor quipped as he approached. "Surprise understandable. Hadn't expected to return to work."

"You're back with STG?" asked Garrus.

"Special consultant," said Mordin. "Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong." He looked around before he leaned closer and whispered, "Helped female krogan. Fed information to Clan Urdnot. Encouraged political pressure to free females."

"So it was you?" said Garrus.

"Yes. Can explain later. Security warnings not normal. Need to get offworld for sake of krogan." He motioned the team to follow. "Females had weakened immune systems. Side effect of Maelon's cure." He stopped in front of a sealed room and looked through the window. On a large metal slab lied several sealed body bags. "These... didn't survive."

"But what about Maelon's research?" asked Shepard. "I thought we saved it."

"Indeed. Data saved, but not complete. Lacks crucial details to reconstruct cure, but still useful for synthesizing from live tissue." He once again gazed at the covered body. "Couldn't save them"

"You did your best, Mordin." It was all Shepard could say.

Her words hardly brought any comfort. The professor shook his head in regret. "Arrived too late. Cannot delay now." Mordin then resumed his lead through the station. "One survivor. Immune to genophage. Can synthesize cure from her tissue."

Wrex growled. "Just one?"

"She's still here?" asked Shepard quickly.

"Yes. Last hope for krogan. If she dies, genophage cure... problematic."

Shepard shared a look with her turian twin. Their silent message was only one word: Shit.

Mordin led them to the end of the lab and stopped in front of a pod with an opaque window. "Please be careful. Krogan slow to trust."

With a few strokes on the console, the window began to clear, revealing a female krogan within.

Wrex rushed forth but Shepard held up an arm to stop him. "Let me handle this, Wrex."

"Shepard-"

"Do you trust me?"

The krogan chief growled but backed down.

Shepard stepped up to the window. Although the female was upright, she was not standing on her own. Her body was supported by a form-fitting frame. Her gown covered most of her body, except for her eyes, which opened suddenly and looked straight into Shepard's.

"I am Commander Aerin Shepard, Alliance Navy."

The female didn't move one muscle, nor did she introduce herself. Instead, she asked in an eerily calm tone, "Are you here to kill me?"

 _What?_ "No. Urdnot Wrex and I are here to take you home."

There was no joy, no sign of relief. The krogan merely studied Shepard for a moment, then asked, "Why? What am I to you?"

A promise to an old friend. A key to save Palaven, Earth. ...And Anderson.

"Goddess," Liara breathed. Her omni-tool displayed a holographic figure of the female krogan after a remote scan. "What she's been through..."

"Have the salarians been mistreating you?" asked Shepard, frowning.

"Those were my sisters you saw back there," said the female. "They died in a lot of pain."

"Did the best we could," said Mordin.

"And now I know I'm the only one left. That makes me dangerous to a lot of people."

Although physically abused, weak, and exhausted, the trapped krogan was sharper than all her male counterparts combined. Her gaze made Shepard felt strangely exposed, as if the krogan could see right through her thoughts.

The female then asked once more, "What about you, Commander Shepard? Why are you here?"

 _Careful now, Shepard._ "You're the future of the krogan race. I'm fighting for that."

The alarm blasted even louder with an announcement, "Alert! Unidentified vessels have breached the perimeter."

 _Goddammit!_

The female didn't even bat an eye. "Then I hope you brought an army."

Mordin checked his omni-tool. "Multiple ships inbound." He paused with a sharp breath. "Cerberus."

 _Son of a bitch!_ Shepard scowled. "What the hell are they doing here?"

"Females kept secret," Mordin pondered out loud to himself. "Possibly a mole in STG. Could be indoctrinated."

There was that word again. Indoctrination.

"If no krogan alliance with turians," the professor continued his train of thoughts, "Reapers left unchallenged."

"Get the female out there. Now!" yelled Wrex.

"She might be safer down here," reasoned Liara.

"What? So the salarians can kill her like the others? No deal!" The huge krogan jabbed a finger right at Shepard's face. "If you still want this alliance, get her out of there!"

 _Goddamn Cerberus..._

"Release the female," Shepard told the scientist by the console. "We're leaving."

"I can't," said the scientist. "Protocol states during lockdown no specimen-" He suddenly screamed and slumped on top of the keyboard.

"Objection noted," said Mordin, his omni-tool remained lit after the electrocution. Pushing his colleague aside, the professor unlocked the cell, then marched right into the containment. "Need to monitor pod as it clears quarantine procedures."

"You do know that if anything happens to the female," said Wrex, "I'm turning everyone's skulls inside out."

That was no empty threat, Shepard knew. "Everything depends on her, Mordin. Be careful."

"Understood," said Mordin, locking the pod from within. "Meet us at the landing zone, Shepard."

Shepard walked up to the window once more. The female remained still, as if the chaos outside her cell was just a show from a vid.

"You'll see Tuchanka again," said Shepard, "I promise."

* * *

Location: Salarian Base, Top Level

"Mordin was right," said Garrus as the elevator ascended. "Cerberus must have been tipped off. They got here too fast."

"Every war has its traitors," said Liara.

Gunshots could be heard from outside. Rifle already in her hands, Shepard stared at the blinking panel. Three more levels to go.

"Get ready," she told her team.

"At your six," said Garrus.

Two more.

Blue glow flared and enveloped Liara's body.

One more.

The elevator stopped. The door opened. On the floor waiting for them was a black box that beeped once every second.

 _Shit!_

The twins yelled simultaneously, "Oh crap!" "Bomb!"

The four friends leaped away just in time before the bomb exploded. Shepard's shield absorbed most of the damage but she could feel the burning heat through her armor. Her ears rang, her vision blurred, barely recovered injuries on her ribs hurt like hell.

Cursing, she pushed herself off the floor, then felt a hand on her arm, helping her back on her feet. Blue armor was all she saw for a second. It was her archangel.

"Cerberus isn't fooling around," said Garrus.

"We have to get to the female before Cerberus does," said Shepard, blinking hard to clear the blurry sight. "You all right?"

Garrus shrugged. "It's just a bomb. I'm hard to kill."

"Shepard, get cracking!" yelled Wrex, joining them with Liara behind. Both seemed unharm. "If anything happens to the female-"

"Airdrop," warned Liara, who immediately released a biotic attack at the Cerberus troops leaping out of their vessel, knocking the men off the building before they could land onto the balcony.

"You're making this too easy, T'Soni," said Garrus.

"I'm sure there will be more," said Liara.

And she was right. More gunshots echoed from around the corner. Shepard rushed in, and found four bodies were lying on the floor by Major Kirrahe's feet, all of them in Cerberus armors.

"Commander, stay back!" Kirrahe warned. "Hostiles just down the hall."

Shepard could hear heavy footsteps approaching. "I need to get to the landing pad."

The major switched his weapon and said, "Then allow me." He then jumped out of cover and fired three consecutive shots rapidly at the incoming soldiers.

But the Cerberus soldiers kept charging without once staggering. Only a second later did they find out their fate had been sealed when a quick beep was heard, and the explosives stuck on their armors exploded.

Watching the display of STG's new toy, Garrus gasped in a mix of amazement and envy. "How do I not have one of those?"

Shepard then told her twin, "I know what to get you for Christmas." _If we survive._

"Go, Commander," said Kirrahe. "I'll cover you!"

The alarm continued to blast as Shepard hurried down the hall. The once pristine station was now in chaos. Rubble and dead bodies scattered everywhere; smoke and fire covered the clear blue sky. A Cerberus shuttle zoomed by, no doubt carrying even more troopers aboard.

"This looks worse than I thought," said Garrus as they rushed toward the landing pad.

"You pull this off," said Wrex to Shepard, "and I'm making you an honorary krogan."

"More incoming!" warned Garrus, pointing at the shuttle that had just passed them a short moment ago.

"Light 'em up!" ordered Shepard.

One soldier dropped, holding a large shield in his hand. Shepard was too busy dodging bullets and firing back to notice it was more than a shield until it'd expanded into a turret. Her mistake had earned her a few shots from Cerberus' new weapon.

Cursing, Shepard rolled to a new cover and found the shield on her armor had been depleted. A few more shots, and she'd never see the Normandy again.

"We have to take out those turrets!" said Liara over the sound of gunshots.

"Still remember how to overload one, Vakarian?" said Shepard.

Already positioned himself on a higher ground with his sniper rifle, Garrus' omni-tool lit up in a flash. "You kidding me?"

Shepard reached for a new clip and reloaded her gun while her shield was recharging. While heavily armed for a diplomatic mission, their ammunition stock was limited, and they certainly didn't have enough to take down an entire army.

"The female isn't going to last long against this sort of firepower," said Garrus after blowing up the turret.

 _Shit._ Shepard tapped on her earpiece. "Mordin, talk to me."

"Containment shield is holding," the professor reported. "Will try to repair if necessary. Can't speak for krogan's health, however."

"I'm fine, Commander," said the female. The krogan's voice was deep, quiet, and strangely calming. "This isn't your problem. You don't know me."

"But I'd like to. Hang in there."

"Aerin, behind you!" shouted Liara.

Shepard's reflex took over. Her omni-blade sprang. Shepard spun around and stabbed a Cerberus trooper right through his torso.

Shield at 50%. No time to waste. Shepard took a gamble and jumped back into the battlefield.

While Anderson was fighting for the lives of everyone on Earth, Shepard fought for her own as well as her mentor's lightyears away on Sur'Kesh. This was what she was trained to do, what she was meant to do. Not negotiating treaty, not hosting summit. She was never meant to be a politician, but a soldier.

"Up there!" yelled Wrex.

Shepard glanced up just in time to see a comet dropped from the sky. The floor shook, tossing everyone nearby off their feet. She recovered quickly, only to find it was not a comet, but an altas mech with a Cerberus soldier piloting from inside.

Son of a bitch.

The mech flexed its limbs then suddenly started shooting almost indiscriminately.

"Watch out for the cannon!" yelled Shepard, diving behind a computer console that probably costed more than a top-of-the-line skycar.

"And the rocket launcher," added Garrus over the radio. "I hate those."

"Incoming," warned Liara.

"Goddammit!" said Shepard, this time out loud.

"What's wrong, Shepard?" jabbed Wrex. "You getting old? Take that thing out!"

"I'm-" Shepard felt a presence from behind. She grabbed the person's wrist and threw him over her shoulder. Cerberus. After one visual confirmation, her omni-blade sprang and found its way through the man's chest. "-busy!"

"Shepard, look out!" yelled Garrus.

While she was distracted, the mech's cannon had been aimed directly at her. _Son of a-_ Her reflex once again saved her; Shepard jumped away, barely escaping the attack.

"Aerin!"

"I'm okay," Shepard told her friends. Wrex was right, they had to take that thing out. "Garrus, blow up its shield!"

"On it!"

"Fighting Saren was a lot harder than this!" said Wrex, headbutting a man to the ground before shooting him.

"Wrex hasn't exactly mellowed with age, has he?" Garrus quipped while rapidly working on an overload.

Shepard cracked the skull of an enemy with the butt of her rifle. Then, with a flick of her wrist, brought her gun back in both hands and shot two approaching soldiers. "He's been expanding with age."

"You calling me fat?" said the krogan chief as he continued to fire with blinding speed and accuracy.

"There's more of you to love," said Liara, who lifted a group of soldiers up in the air with her biotics, then promptly shot each one down.

"Done!" said Garrus. "Shield is down!"

"Garrus, shoot the window!" Shepard switched to her sniper rifle. "Wrex, Liara, clear the room! We'll take care of the mech."

"Come on, Liara," said Wrex. "Let's give them hell!"

Through the scope, Shepard spotted the pilot attempting to drive the mech away. But as powerful as the mech was, it was incredibly slow.

Lining up her shot, Shepard mumbled, "Ready, Vakarian?"

"I was waiting for you, Shepard," said Garrus.

Together, the twins fired at the cockpit simultaneously. Although the window was able to sustain more than a few shots, it was not entirely bullet-proof. Eight shots in and the window finally cracked, leaving the pilot exposed.

"Killshot is mine," said Garrus, pulling the trigger once more for a perfect headshot.

Switching back to her assault rifle, Shepard immediately fought her way to Major Kirrahe, although there was little resistance left. In between the salarian major, the krogan chief, and the asari doctor, most of the Cerberus soldiers were down. Shepard was amazed by their efficiency. If only their leaders could work together as seamlessly in the conference room.

Shepard rushed back with a borrowed weapon – the same gun Garrus had had his eyes on a short while ago. "Stand back!" she warned, then aimed at the mech and emptied the clip. Five explosives landed right into the cockpit.

Two seconds later, the mech exploded, knocking Shepard off her feet.

"All clear!" Garrus announced from the bird's-eye view of the battlefield.

Her shield had once again been depleted. Panting slightly, Shepard remained on the floor, allowing herself a few seconds to catch her breath.

Garrus leaped down and looked at the pile of junk metal that had once been the altas mech. "What a shame. Always wanted one of those."

"Tell the Hierarchy to buy you one," said Shepard. "Special Consultant."

"Affinity for destruction intact, Shepard," quipped Mordin from her radio. "Excellent."

Traveling along the track, the pod arrived and stopped near the landing pad. It was clearly damaged, but the people inside seemed unharmed.

"Let's get you out of there," said Shepard, releasing the container from a console nearby.

The pod opened with a faint hiss. The female remained as still as a statue, seemingly unfazed by the destruction around.

Pushing everyone aside, Wrex rushed toward the pod and extended a hand to the female. "Let's get you out of there."

The female krogan, however, regarded the hand once, then ignored it completely and stepped out by herself, all without one glance at the clan chief.

Wrex groaned, but for once, he didn't dare to speak his mind.

It was Shepard who received the female's attention. With her head held up high, the krogan approached slowly.

"Thank you for saving my life, Commander." To Shepard's surprise, the female extended a hand, which Shepard immediately took. Although cold to touch, the female's grip was firm, yet gentle. "I didn't think the krogan had any allies left in the galaxy."

"We owe a lot to you," said Shepard sincerely, "even if most people have forgotten that."

"They can be forgiven. Our actions have hardly inspired friendship."

Perhaps it was her soothing voice, or her calming wisdom, somehow, the female emitted warmth through her presence. Shepard couldn't help but felt drawn to this new friend.

"Part of being friends is knowing each other's name," Shepard said, her tone softened. "I feel bad that I don't know yours."

"I surrendered my name the day I became a shaman of the female clan. I belong to my sisters now." The krogan then looked deep into Shepard's eyes and continued, "But perhaps one day when this is over, you can know it."

Although tired and beaten, a gentle smile found its way to Shepard's face. "I look forward to that day."

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR2, Conference Room

The fight was hardly over. It merely continued in another form. Shepard realized this when she stepped into the conference room.

"You have the female, Wrex," said Primarch Victus. "A cure for the rest of your people can come later."

"That wasn't the deal," said Wrex, folding his arms.

"But Palaven needs your reinforcements now," Victus pointed out. "We can't delay."

Shepard agreed with the primarch. An hour delay could mean a thousand dead. Or perhaps even more.

"Unless every krogan gets the cure," said Wrex, "there's no alliance."

 _Goddammit!_ But Shepard knew better than to push Wrex to a corner. One pissed off Wrex translated into no krogan support, which led to the total destruction of both Palaven and Earth.

Compromise – that's what she had been doing too often lately. Shepard hated it, but the stakes were too high. Billions lives were hanging in a delicate balance.

Shepard swallowed a sigh and a curse, and turned to the professor next to her. "Mordin, how long will it take to finish a cure?"

Mordin thought for a second. "Need to synthesize base antigen from female. Also requires healthy male krogan tissue. Will need a sample."

"You're looking at it," Wrex volunteered.

"Acceptable. Will need you remain aboard Normandy for procedure."

The krogan chief grunted. "Let's hope the food's gotten better."

 _Let's hope we find a cure before there's no Palaven and Earth left to be saved..._

* * *

Location: Citadel, Dock

"Let's hit the arcade!"

"What are you? Five? Let's go to the casino instead."

"I'm starving! Let's go eat!"

The biotic students jumped out of the shuttle the moment the door opened. All too eager to explore the Citadel. After the hell they had been through back at the academy, Kaidan couldn't blame them.

"Alenko," Jack called, hanging at the back as she watched her kids stretch their legs after a long ride.

"What's up?" Kaidan stayed behind with her, but she didn't speak until the students were far away.

"Listen," Jack started in a serious tone. "The kids are getting better at this shit, but there's just no way they could survive out there without way more training. Not without any field experience at all."

Kaidan agreed with her assessment.

"They'd be better off as support," Jack continued. "Put them in the back ranks, helping with barriers and shit. I don't know."

"You're right," said Kaidan. "But have you told them that?"

"No! They need me to believe in them."

The once foul-mouthed young woman had certainly changed, Kaidan noticed, and for the better.

Jack returned his amused look with a glare. "Shut up! I did pick up a few things listening to all your commander's damn speeches."

A tiny grin found its way to Kaidan's face at the mention of Shepard. "Well, she does tend to rub off on people-"

Then everything changed when they heard a scream. It was from one of the kids. "Cerberus!"

* * *

A/N: Changes here and there, all to make the story flows better.

Thanks for reading all along! And special thanks to those who leave a comment! It's good to know I'm not telling this story to a wall.

Contact info: gmail – pinoko19, tumblr – pinoko-k.


	12. Chapter 11: Traitor Within

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chapter 11: Traitor Within

Year: 2186CE

Location: Unknown

"Stand down, Commander," said a man behind Shepard.

 _Anderson!_

"Put down your gun, Shepard," said Anderson. "That's an order."

The rifle Shepard didn't even know she had been holding suddenly became as hot as molten lava. Shepard dropped it on the ground.

"Join us, child," her mentor beckoned. "We need someone like you. Together, we can make this galaxy a better place."

Fighting alongside the man who had taken her under his wings, it was something Shepard longed for.

Then, although very faintly, Shepard could hear screams from afar. Something was wrong.

A woman's voice came from behind. "It's over, Skipper. Join us."

 _Ashley?_

The screams became louder – screams of terror, of pain, mixed with the sounds of gunfire and explosions. Horrible sounds Shepard had heard from many places. From Earth to Palaven...

No. The war was far from over.

"You left me behind, Shepard," said both the admiral and the chief, their voices intertwined. "I died because of you. You owe me that."

 _I'm sorry..._

No. The real Anderson and Williams would never say that.

 _No!_

"The cycle cannot be broken." The woman who wore Ashley's face pulled out a gun and fired.

Shepard jolted at sudden sharp pain. Bright red blood gushed from the bullet wound on her torso.

Her whole world sank and turned sideways as she fell onto the ground. Blood formed inside her mouth, choking her.

Then, a voice vibrated inside her head, "...Your extinction is inevitable. We are the end of everything..."

With dying effort, she took one last breath as hard as she could. Cool air freely entered her lungs. Shepard snapped open her eyes. What greeted her was the ceiling of the medical bay aboard her own ship. Unconsciously, her hand reached for her torso. There was no bullet wound, no blood, only sore muscles and healing broken ribs.

"Nightmares?" asked a soothing voice next to her. It was Eve.

 _We are living in one._ "Yeah..." Whatever pain medicines Chakwas had given her had put her to sleep. And its drowsiness effect certainly lingered. Shepard shook her head and blinked hard to clear her cloudy mind. "How long was I out?"

"About half an hour."

"Twenty-seven minutes," said Mordin from a station nearby. The professor didn't even bother to lift his head up from the microscope. "Interesting reaction," he mumbled to himself. "Need further testing."

"Your asari friend has stopped by," Eve told her. "She wanted to see you."

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, Liara's Office

"Tell me you have good news," said Shepard, marching through the door of what used to be the XO office.

"I do," said Liara, stepping back from her work terminal. "But I also have bad news."

"Of course you do... Hit me with the good ones first."

Liara handed her a datapad. "This just came to my desk."

Shepard read the content. A weight that had been on her shoulders since the Reaper invasion was now lifted. Her mother had joined Hackett's fleet.

Finally, some good news among an endless stream of bad ones.

Shepard almost didn't want to ask, "And the bad news?"

"All my contacts on the Citadel have gone silent. Something's wrong, Aerin."

"The Reapers?"

Liara shook her head. "No. The last report I received was some sort of commotions at the docks. It's Cerberus."

"Cerberus?" Shepard scowled at that name. "What the hell are they doing there?"

Even the Shadow Broker had no answer to that. Instead, Liara asked, "Have you heard from Kaidan?"

"No." Which was rare for someone who took his duty as seriously as the major. Shepard had been expecting an update.

"He's probably already at the Citadel."

 _Goddammit._ Resisting the urge to punch the wall, Shepard pressed the comm. "Joker, what's the ETA?"

"Just under an hour, ma'am."

"Double-time, Mister. Also, when you approach the station, watch out for Cerberus."

"Again?" The pilot's sigh was audible. "Those assholes are everywhere, aren't they? I swear, Commander, they are stalking you or something."

"Communications have been cut off, but try to reach Kaidan. I need an update."

"Aye," said Joker. "EDI, you heard the boss."

Shepard then made another call. "Garrus. Trouble in Citadel. Cerberus."

"And here I thought we could hit a bar or two," her twin joked. "I'll be ready, Aerin."

"Shepard," said EDI, "I can also accompany you on this mission."

Joker was quick to respond, "Uhh, now is not the time to test out new hardware, EDI."

"We could use another friendly gun," said Liara.

"EDI can come with us," Shepard decided. She had one more call to make, "Wrex-"

"Yeah, I heard," said the krogan. "I'm with Garrus. Can't believe you called him first."

"It's been a while since you're on the Normandy, Wrex," said Garrus. "You can't really expect Shepard to call Tuchanka every time hell breaks loose, which is about three times a day."

"At this rate, that sounds about right..." Shepard admitted under her breath. "Wrex, I need you to stay here and protect Eve."

"Do you even have to ask?" Wrex snorted. "I'm not going anywhere until I get the cure."

"Garrus, update the primarch," said Shepard. "He needs to remain on the ship for his own safety."

"He's not going to like it, Shepard," said Garrus. "But I guess we don't have time to find another primarch."

"Commander," said Joker, "I was scanning emergency channels and found this. A message playing on loop."

A man's voice came through the comm, "To all incoming ships: The Citadel is underattack – do not attempt to land! Cerberus is controlling all docks. Notify the Citadel Fleet. Send reinforcements to C-Sec headquarters – if that falls, the station falls."

 _Goddammit!_

"Sounds like Bailey from C-Sec," said Garrus. "Doubt Cerberus is going to let us dock even if we ask nicely."

"We'll deploy in the shuttle," said Shepard. "Joker, get us in near C-Sec headquarters."

* * *

Location: Citadel, Lower Wards

C-Sec VI announcement continued to play despite being drowned by the sound of gunfire. "Warning: Civil unrest has been reported in the Presidium, Zakera Ward, Tayseri Ward, Bachjret Ward, Kithoi Ward, and Aroch Ward. For your own safety, please avoid these areas."

Kaidan knew. He was currently in one of those wards.

"Vega, behind you!" Kaidan warned.

His omni-tool lit, then immediately targeted at the two Cerberus soldiers who were flanking the lieutenant. Both men froze like ice statues, but only for a moment.

Biotics then quickly charged and released. A simple attack was enough to shattered one of the frozen man, while the lieutenant smashed the other one with the butt of his rifle.

"Owe you one!" said James while charging forward to take down the next threat.

"Nice one, Prangley!" Kaidan heard Jack's voice from the balcony above. "This ain't dodgeball, Rodriguez! Keep your damn barriers up!"

Jack's teaching style might be unorthodox, but it sure was effective. Safely kept at the back, the young biotics joined the battle by playing support roles – lifting enemies in the air, throwing things at them. The students were enthusiastic, some even eager to flex their powers, but without any frontline experience, it wouldn't be long until one of the kids collapsed with biotic exhaustion.

"Damn it, Rodiguez! Told you to keep your barriers up!" Jack snapped. "Prangley, snap some medi-gel on her!"

The students were getting tired and sloppy, Kaidan realized. Retreat, however, was not an option. They had already fought their way from the docks to the lower Wards. Now, if they could just get to C-Sec to look for help...

"Now, pay attention," said Jack, who then grunted. "Hey, Alenko, up here!"

Four men in Cerberus armors trapped inside a biotic bubble in the air. Kaidan detonated the mass effect field with a simple warp, and bubble exploded, killing all four at once.

"And that's how you blow sh- stuff up," Jack told her students while Kaidan turned his attention back to the battlefield.

Only three Cerberus soldiers remained. All were targeting Miranda Lawson, probably because of Cerberus bounty on her head.

Spotting a dropped shield nearby, Kaidan lifted it with his biotics and threw it at one of the men. The shield hit the soldier right in the head, with almost enough force to decapitate him.

"I could have taken care of that," said Miranda as she took down the other two with a combo of both biotics and bullets. "But thanks."

Just when Kaidan thought it was over...

"What is that thing?" asked one of the students.

"Fuc-" Jack almost let slip. "Altas mech!"

"Watch for the rockets!" warned Kaidan.

His warning came just in time. The students scattered to the nearest covers before a rocket hit the place they'd been standing.

"How do we fight that?" asked another kid, her voice trembled in fear.

"Use your biotics," said Miranda. "Has your teacher taught you anything useful?"

"Shut up, cheerleader!" Jack snapped. "Kids, lift that ass- that thing up and smash it to hell!"

"But-"

"You can do it, Rodriguez! Together, on three!"

The area surrounding the teacher and her students glowed blindingly bright as they lifted the mech high up in the air.

Jack then yelled, "Alenko, now!"

Kaidan didn't need to be told twice. To his surprise, Miranda joined him. Both released their powers simultaneously and slammed the altas mech onto a wall nearby. The mech exploded, its pilot instantly killed.

Cheers erupted from the students to celebrate their first major victory. "Hell, yeah!" "I did it!" "Right. Your biotics can barely lift a hundred kilos." "Hey, I helped!" "Did you see that?" "Should have recorded it and posted the vid on extranet."

"Quiet!" All chatters were shut down by their instructor. "Someone's coming."

Kaidan, too, spotted a man rushing in. But he wasn't wearing a Cerberus armor. Or any type of armor. "C-Sec."

"About time C-Sec responds," said James, wiping sweats off his forehead.

The man was hobbling. And when he was close enough, Kaidan recognized his face. "Commander Bailey."

Bailey grunted, holding his side. "Didn't expect to see you here, Major."

Kaidan spotted blood seeping through the man's fingers. "Sit down. Let me patch you up."

"Nuh. Looks worse than it is." Still, the commander complied and lifted up his shirt.

"What's going on?" asked Kaidan as he applied medi-gel the other man. The cut on his torso was long, but not deep.

"Cerberus took C-Sec headquarters in the first push. I'm heading there. We gotta kick them out. Everyone in C-Sec's flying blind without the network."

"What about the Council?"

"Last I heard, they're alive. But that's an hour ago. I'll know more if I can access a terminal inside the headquarters."

 _Damn it..._

C-Sec or the Council? They only had time to get to one. Well, perhaps not...

Kaidan turned to Miranda. "Go to C-Sec headquarters with Bailey. I'll go find the councilors."

"You don't even know if they are still alive," said Miranda.

"If they are, they're in danger. I'm going. Vega, go with Lawson."

"Hey, what about us?" asked one of the students. Prangley, Kaidan remembered him, as the young man was on his potential recruit list.

"Stay with the rest of the group," said Kaidan. "As long as Cerberus is holding the headquarters, they have the station. We need to take it back."

"But-" the young man began to argue.

"Hey! Hey!" Jack interrupted. "If that's where we're needed, that's where we're going."

"The councilors were last seen at their tower," said Bailey. "They beefed up security after what happened two years ago. That place is as safe as it gets. They're probably still there."

* * *

Location: Citadel, C-Sec Headquarters

Shepard didn't wait for the shuttle to land. She opened the door while in midair and spotted the ongoing battle right outside C-Sec headquarters.

A group of people were fighting against Cerberus. Occasional biotic glows flared across the battlefield, almost like twinkling stars on a cloudless night.

"The party has started," said Garrus beside her.

"Looks like a group of biotics." Shepard pulled out her rifle. "EDI, ready for this?"

"Ready for field-testing, Shepard," replied the AI.

Their shuttle flew closer, hovering just above the battlefield.

"Okay, people! Coming in hot! Get to cover!" Shepard told her team, then leaped out of the shuttle.

Their arrival had drawn the attention of the Cerberus soldiers. Shepard landed and immediately found herself under heavy fire. A biotic slam from Liara knocked down some of the nearest enemies, buying them enough time to dodge behind covers.

"Hallelujah!" yelled a voice from afar. "It's the commander!"

"Sounds like Lieutenant Vega," said Liara. "Then those biotics must be the students from Grissom Academy."

"Good. Let's give them a hand. Incoming. Cover me, Liara."

Shepard jumped out. A purple sphere sudden appeared in the air near the incoming enemies, pulling the soldiers off the ground. Shepard charged, gun blazing, killing all three, then rolled to the next cover.

"Vega, there's a generator near the shield," Shepard heard Miranda's voice. "Shoot it! I'll cover you."

But there was no time to search for her former XO. Enemies were fast approaching. Shepard peeked out to return fire, only to find one of the men was suddenly set on fire.

"Incineration. Check," said EDI to herself.

"How's that new body working, EDI?" asked Shepard when the immediate threat was over.

"Adequate. However, I would like to perform more tests."

"Do what you have to."

Shepard's attention was stolen by an incoming enemy. Though not heavily armored, this one was fast, leaping from one cover to another. Shepard managed to get a few shots in, none fatal. It wasn't long before he was in melee range. It was then Shepard realized he had an ancient weapon with him.

 _A sword? You've gotta be kidding me._

Omni-blade sprang and caught the assassin's blade before it could hit her. The assassin's free hand thrust onto her stomach. Shepard felt a bone-breaking jolt. Her arm buckled; the blade was pressed closer to her head. The sneak attack had completely depleted the shield on her armor. One more hit, and she'd be gone...

Rifle still in her other hand, Shepard shoved it at the assassin's torso and fired.

That should be enough to take care of any normal enemy. But the assassin quickly flipped back, then recovered in a roll and bounced back on his feet, charging yet again.

 _Son of a bitch!_

Shepard leaped away before the blade could cut her in half, then quickly switched to her shotgun. Her ribs burned like hell, but adrenaline in her veins sharpened all her already-enhanced senses.

"Need a hand?" asked a cool, feminine voice.

 _Miranda?_ A biotic energy flew past Shepard, aiming at the assassin, who dodged the attack. Another biotic attack. Another dodge. While his attention was occupied by Miranda, Shepard managed to land more than a few hits on the assassin. Her bullets took care of the shield, but not the person.

Her shotgun clip was emptied, Shepard quickly reloaded. Yet that slight delay was enough of an opening for the enemy.

The assassin charged, sword raised.

"Disarm him!" said Miranda.

Easier said then done when the man was changing direction every second with his sword waving. But Shepard did. Shot fired. The injured arm jerked back, though the sword remained in a stubborn grip.

 _The hell?_

Then, sword raised above his head, with both hands on the hilt, the assassin jumped at Shepard. Omni-blade blocked the attack once more. Putting all his weight onto the sword, the assassin pressed it down onto her. Two arms verses one. Shepard would have lost had she been a normal human. But she was anything but, thanks to the Lazarus project. With her free hand, Shepard shoved her shotgun at the man's torso and pulled the trigger. This time, not once, not even twice, but until the clip was empty.

The sword pressed down further, though it was because of the weight of his body, not his strength. Shepard shoved the blade and the body away with one sweep of her arm, freeing herself from the entanglement.

"Cerberus latest weapon," said Miranda, eyeing at the dead assassin. "Wonder what sorts of implants he had..."

Shepard tossed away the sword, just to be safe. Panting, she then asked, "What's the situation?"

"We're trying to retake the headquarters with Bailey," her former XO told her. "As you can see, it's heavily guarded outside."

"Where's Kaidan?" Shepard hadn't spotted him on the battlefield.

"He's off to find the councilors."

"By himself?" Shepard frowned. _Goddammit..._

Before Miranda could reply, they heard gunfire accompanied by a few mutters of 'what the hell' in bewilderment. Nearby, Shepard saw two soldiers firing at EDI, who was utterly unfazed by the bullets.

The most horrible sense of deja vu came crushing. For a second, Shepard could only watch, frozen.

The AI nodded to herself, seemingly satisfied with the result. Then, without warning, EDI charged at her enemies with blinding speed, stabbing one with her omni-blade, then catching the escaping soldier by his neck before slamming him to his death.

Memories on Mars almost suffocated Shepard. She could have died like this.

EDI stood, retracting her omni-blade. "Tests completed," the AI announced in her usual monotone. "This unit is effective."

"Aerin..." Miranda called out.

"I'm all right." Shoving all the memories aside, Shepard forcefully reminded herself the one controlling the mech was no longer Eva Core. "Your body is not indestructible, EDI. Be careful."

The AI nodded. "Understood."

"Fire in the hole!" Shepard heard James' warning as the lieutenant tossed a grenade behind one of the shields Cerberus had set up as road blocks.

The soldiers hidden behind scattered out of their cover. Then, one by one, all were then promptly lifted up in the air by biotics.

"Nice work," yelled a familiar voice from afar. "You're almost making me proud."

"That's Jack and her students," said Miranda.

The floating enemies were all promptly shot down.

"All clear!" Garrus announced.

Those were the two words Shepard had been waiting for.

"Commander!" James hurried over and snapped a salute.

"Give me an update."

"Cortez took the shuttle off the station before Cerberus could seize it. Those Cerberus assholes took over the docks, now they're spreading over the Presidium and the Wards." The lieutenant's report was interrupted by the arrival of a group of students and their instructor.

"Well, if it ain't the Queen of Girl Scout." Jack turned to her students and announced, "Kids, this is Commander Freaking Shepard."

Shepard nodded at the group, ignoring the bewildered gasps and wide-eyed stares. "Glad you're all okay."

"Good to see you again, Garrus," said Jack with a tiny smirk. "Face still looks like shit."

"And you are as charming as ever," Garrus countered without missing a beat.

"Locked. Why am I not surprised?" Grumbling to himself in front the door panel by the C-Sec entrance, Bailey tried to input another code, but failed. "Cerberus has changed the code."

"EDI," said Shepard, "Unlock it."

The man looked at EDI with an eyebrow raised. "You certainly keep strange company, Shepard. I ain't complaining..."

"No shit," said Jack. "Nice body, EDI."

It only took EDI a few seconds. "Rerouting complete."

The door opened. The headquarters was empty.

"No one's here," said James as they entered.

"No one alive." Shepard nodded at a dead C-Sec officer by the nearest desk.

"Holy shit..." the lieutenant mumbled, shaking his head at the scene.

Bodies of C-Sec officers scattered over the office, some lying face down on the floor, some simply slumping over their desk.

Garrus examined one of them nearby. "Entry wounds in the back of the head. Looks like a surprise, not an execution."

"Surprise all right," said Bailey. "Well, until two hours ago, this place was as safe as it got. Nobody expected something on this scale."

"We've got hardcore traitors here, Shepard," said Garrus.

"Same as Mars," said Shepard, frowning. "Cerberus sure likes sleepers agents."

"Here we go," said Bailey in front of a console. "C-Sec network access, courtesy of Cerberus." He began to type. "Cerberus has control of the main channels, but I can set up a new one. Without it, our people have no plan and no chance."

James frowned at the bodies on the floor, "Man, what kind of effed-up ideology means you shoot cops? Is that like a recruiting tool for these sickos?"

It was EDI who replied, "An attack on the Citadel could be reframed as a human-supremacist political goal. C-Sec could easily be demonized. Their heavy turian membership and the Council's inaction in the face of Earth's Reaping means they can be classified as enemies."

"They're telling their guys to wreck the Citadel for Earth's sake?" James grimaced. "That's some twisted shit."

"Well, hello..." Bailey muttered.

"What've you got?" Shepard asked.

"A warning from Councilor Valern. He's supposed to meet with the executor." Bailey then read, "'Be on guard – the likelihood of betrayal from within is high.' Not a lot else."

"That's not good..." Garrus mumbled under his breath.

"Why's that?" asked James.

"Our paths don't usually cross," Bailey explained. "When the councilors meet with our boss, it means someone big's about to be prosecuted."

Garrus nodded and continued, "Someone with Cerberus friends."

 _Who?_ One thing Shepard knew about the Illusive Man was that he wouldn't do anything half-measured. From spending billions to rebuild her, to trying to take over the Collector base. When he aimed, he aimed big. And the most powerful human in Citadel...

 _No way._

"...Udina?" Liara echoed Shepard's guess.

"...But that's insane," said Garrus. "Does he even have this kind of pull?"

"He doesn't," said Miranda, "but the Illusive Man does."

"You know who'd have the answer to that?" said Bailey. "The councilor."

"Let's find him," said Shepard.

"The transponders on the councilors are offline," Bailey told her. "Until we fix that systems, I can't locate him."

"If he's meeting with the executor when the shooting started," said Garrus, "he could still be there. The executor's office is a fairly defensible position."

Shepard nodded and started to order, "James, stay here and help Bailey. EDI, get the systems running. I need the locations of the councilors, asap." She paused and looked at the kids around Jack.

All students snapped to attention under her inspection. They were all fresh-faced, no more than twenty. Young, and inexperienced. There would be time and place for them to shine in the future, but not today. She couldn't risk their lives out there prematurely.

"Cerberus will try to reclaim the headquarters," Shepard told the students. "I need all of you to defend this vital position. Can I count on you to do that?"

A very subtle look of relief flashed across Jack's face, Shepard noticed.

Just as expected, the students were all too eager to help. "You can count on us, Commander!" "We're the best!"

"It'd be a hell of a lot more fun out there with you, Shepard," said Jack, "but my guys need me. I'll stick with them."

The biotic Shepard had rescued from the maximum security prison had changed, and for the better.

Shepard pulled out her rifle once more and said, "Okay, let's move!"

"Just a sec," said Bailey, who then worked on the console for a brief moment. "Cerberus took down the comm systems, but... There. Now we can talk by omni-tool. Go!"

* * *

Location: Citadel, Executor Office

"There's a stairwell further on," said Garrus. "Executor's office is right above it."

"Hurry," urged Shepard, charging ahead. Even with the shortcuts they'd taken, their pace was slow, thanks to Cerberus interruptions.

Shepard cleared the stairs, three-steps at a time. At the top was a grant reception hall with the usual decorations – a desk facing the stairwell, various plants, and a dead body leaning against the wall by the door.

"Execution," said Garrus. "This man probably unlocked the doors for Cerberus, under gunpoint."

"And after they're done with him..." Liara shook her head. "Goddess..."

Shepard opened the door and charged into the executor's office. Her boots crushed the broken glass panels on the floor. The once orderly place was now trashed. But there was no sign of Cerberus. Or anyone, for that matter.

"We're too late," said Miranda, nodding at a body near the entrance.

Lying facedown in the middle of the hallway was a turian in tailored suit. Blood from the bullet wounds on his back had formed into a blue puddle around him.

"It's the executor," Garrus confirmed.

 _Goddammit._

"Keep searching," said Shepard. "Unless I see the councilor's body, I'm not counting him out yet."

Then she heard a very quiet voice from one of the workstations nearby. "Shepard?"

Alarmed, Shepard looked around. But the office was empty.

A chair suddenly moved and rolled away from the desk. All guns were drawn in a flash as a shadow hidden underneath the desk emerged.

"Don't shot!" The shadow uncloaked. "It's me!"

Salarian. Fancy gown. "Councilor?"

"Shepard!" Councilor Valern rushed to her. "He's going to kill us all!"

"Who?"

"Udina! He's staging a coup. He's got the other councilors now – to hand over to Cerberus!"

"Goddammit!" Shepard tapped her earpiece. _Come on, Kaidan!_ But there was nothing. Her omni-tool lit up. "Bailey! Get the word out: Udina's trying to seize power! He's planning to hand the councilors to Cerberus. We're going after them."

"Son of a- I'll try to contact the Council."

"Shepard," said EDI. "I have reestablished some of the systems. Currently, we are able to monitor the Council's transponders. Their vital signs indicate they are alive, but under stress."

"Where are they?" asked Shepard.

"They are heading to the Shalmar Plaza."

"Not far from here," said Garrus. "But we've to hurry."

Shepard nodded. "Garrus, Liara, escort the councilor back to the C-Sec HQ."

"You sure?" asked her twin.

With an army of Cerberus soldiers out there, Garrus' concern about her safety was more than valid. But right now, there was something much more important than her own life.

"I didn't sacrifice the Alliance fleet to save the Council just to have them killed by Cerberus. Protect the councilor, Vakarian. Now, go!"

* * *

Location: Citadel, Presidium

"Commander, Councilor Valern has arrived," James' report came through her radio. "Vakarian and Bailey are on their way to Shalmar Plaza."

"I'm almost there." Shepard jumped over the body of a Cerberus soldier and continued running to the building. "Where's the Council?"

"Heading to an elevator," EDI replied. "The shuttle dock at the rooftop appears to be their destination. I am sending their location to your omni-tool."

Shepard scowled at the map displayed on her omni-tool. "Goddammit, we won't make in time!"

"EDI," said Miranda while running alongside Shepard, "how many shuttles are at the dock?"

"Checking surveillance cameras. One. C-Sec vehicle."

"Can you disable it?" asked Miranda.

"Checking vehicle identification number. Yes. Record shows the shuttle is overdue for maintenance. I can overload the-"

"Just blow it up!" Shepard snapped, spotting another wave of enemies right in front. "Cerberus incoming!"

* * *

Location: Citadel, Shalmar Plaza

"There are two elevators in front of you," said EDI. "I have disabled one of them."

Miranda locked the door behind – the only exit out of this waiting area. "That should do it. Cerberus can't get in, for now."

"The councilors are currently in the one descending," EDI told them. "Major Alenko is with them."

Shepard watched as the numbers on the elevator panel decreased in a rapid speed. "They're coming. Get ready."

Gun raised, both women aimed at the elevator door, waiting for the final chime.

Ding.

The door opened.

Then came a sudden invisible force knocking Shepard back, slamming her hard onto the wall behind. Pain shot through all her limps; her rifle fell out of her grip.

Faintly, she heard someone calling her. Blinking hard to clear her vision, Shepard found Kaidan was at her side, horrified. "Oh god! Sorry! I didn't-"

"Kaidan, stop him!" Shepard picked up her gun and struggled to get back to her feet immediately.

"What?"

"Udina is behind this!" Shepard shot the elevator panel to seal the only escape route. Although still shaken from the slam, she was not about to miss as this range.

Udina suddenly pointed at her and yelled, "Shepard's blocking our escape! She's with Cerberus!"

 _The hell?_

His accusing finger then quickly switched to Miranda. "And that woman is Cerberus second-in-command! I recognize her!"

"Udina staged this coup!" Shepard turned to the other two councilors, who were both shocked and confused by the turn of events. "He's trying to hand you two to Cerberus."

"That's a lie!" the human councilor spatted.

"Councilor Valern confirmed it," Shepard countered. "He said Udina's behind this attack."

Councilor Tevos gasped. "You've found Valern?"

"He was at the executor's office when Cerberus attacked," Shepard told the asari. "They were trying to kill him."

Udina, however, merely snorted. "Please. You have no proof. You never do."

"You want proof?" Her omni-tool lit up. Shepard made a call. "James? Put the councilor on."

Blood on Udina's face began to drain.

"Commander?" Valern's voice was heard, loud and clear. "Have you found Councilors Tevos and Sparatus? Don't let Udina get away with this!"

"To hell with this!" Grabbing Tevos by her arm, Udina yanked her in front of him as a shield and pointed a gun at her head.

The normally cool and collected councilor panicked and struggled. "Help-"

"Shut up!" Udina tightened his arm around the asari's neck. "Put down your, Shepard. And open the door."

"Don't do this, Udina," urged Shepard, aiming her gun right at the man. She had a clear shot, but as long as Udina's pistol was pressing against the councilor's head, Shepard couldn't take the chance.

"I won't say it again," said Udina, shoving his pistol harder at his former colleague. "Put down your gun! And open that damn door!"

At the corner of her eyes, Shepard noticed one of Kaidan's hands began to glow. Now, she only need to move Udina's gun away from the hostage.

"Do it, Miranda," she told her former XO with a pointed look, then holstered her weapon.

Miranda hesitated. Icy blue eyes quickly scanned everyone once before she complied, "I need to reroute this panel. It'll take a moment."

Rerouting was unnecessary. Shepard knew Miranda got the silent message.

"Listen to me, Udina." Shepard took a step forward, drawing the man's full attention.

"Step back!"

Shepard took another step. "Even if you get out of this room, you won't make it out of the station. Face it: You're done."

"Step back, Shepard!"

One more step. "Or what? Shoot her? The asari will send another councilor to replace Tevos before her body gets cold. You know that. Just like you are nothing but Councilor Anderson's replacement." Shepard noticed his hand began to shake in anger. "All these years spending in the Citadel, in the end, a better man became the first human councilor. Not you. You get your corner office because the admiral quit, not because you deserve it." One more push. "What have you done for us, Udina? We are the ones out there, boots on the ground, fighting for humanity, while you hide behind your desk-"

"I've had enough of your arrogance, Shepard!" Udina shifted his aim and pointed his pistol right at Shepard's face. "All these years, you're nothing but a pain in the ass- Ahhh!"

Screaming in pain, Udina suddenly doubled over. Shepard immediately pulled the councilor away from Udina and kicked his pistol across the room.

Although Kaidan had already reined in his biotics before it killed the man, Udina remained curled up on the floor, panting.

"It's over, Udina," Shepard told the man she had once thought was her ally.

"...Damn you...Shepard..." muttered Udina before he passed out.

"Someone's trying to break in!" Miranda warned, stepping back from the door where sparks and smoke seeped through the cracks.

"Cerberus!" said Tevos. "We're trapped!"

"Stay behind me," Kaidan told the councilor.

"Kaidan, hold up a shield," said Shepard, standing between the door and the councilors. "We'll clear the way for you, Councilors. Then run."

Slowly, the door was pried open. Through the growing gap, Shepard spotted the men outside were all in various shades of blue.

"Garrus!" Shepard breathed a sigh of relief.

"Made it as fast as we could," said her twin, who charged in with Bailey and a few C-Sec agents.

Bailey glanced at the body on the floor. "Looks like... you've taken care of things."

"He's not dead," Shepard told him.

"Then it's a trip to the hospital instead of the morgue." The C-Sec commander waved at his men. "Take that bastard to the hospital. I want guards outside his room. The second he wakes up, haul his ass to the interrogation room." He then told Shepard, "I've never interrogated a councilor before, bet it'd look good on my resume."

"Is Cerberus still out there?" asked Shepard.

"Not anymore," said Bailey. "They ran back into the keeper tunnels when they figured out we were coming. Sorry, Councilors, you can't go back home yet. We need to keep you somewhere safe until we clear every corner."

"Of course," said Tevos, who then asked Kaidan, "Was that... reave, Major?"

Kaidan nodded. "It's the only attack I could think of that would only target Udina without harming you, ma'am."

"Interesting." The asari councilor eyed the man who had saved her. "Come see us tomorrow."

Bailey clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "All right, people! Principals are evacuated. We got a tunnel and a million more places to secure. Move it! Oh, and Vakarian? You want your old job back? We're a little shorthanded."

Garrus shot a quick look at Shepard that silently said, 'You all right?' To which Shepard subtly returned a nod. _I'm fine. Go._

"And there goes my shore leave," said Garrus out loud, holstering his rifle. "I'll meet you back on the ship, Shepard."

Before he was escorted away, Sparatus paused in front of Shepard. "You have saved my life twice now, Commander," said the turian councilor. "I owe you both a personal debt, and one on behalf of Palaven."

"Just doing my job," said Shepard. "You don't owe me anything, Councilor. Times like this, we need to stand together."

The man Shepard had been butting heads with since day one gave her a rare nod of approval. "I'll talk to Councilors Tevos and Valern. Rest assure, Shepard, you have my support."

Miranda watched as the councilors left. She then asked, "You really think they'll help us this time?"

"They'd better," said Shepard. "Or we'll all die."

Shepard's armor suddenly began to feel too heavy as fatigue hit her like a ton of bricks. The metallic taste inside her mouth lingered, the pain in her ribs jabbed her side too much for her to ignore it further. As skilled as she was at hiding discomforts, Shepard was with the only two persons who could see right through her. It wouldn't be long before either Kaidan or Miranda spotted the slightest limp.

This time, it was Kaidan who spoke up first. "You should check in with Chakwas," he told her. "After Mars-"

Shepard quieted him by pulling him in a sudden hug. "What the hell were you thinking? Heading out there by yourself with a station full of Cerberus soldiers. If anything happens to you..."

"Hey, hey, I'm fine." He gave her one gentle squeeze before stepping back. "You, on the other hand..."

"Need a drink. Or three," Shepard finished his sentence. Kaidan was right. Still, the last thing Shepard wanted right now was more pain-killers. And nightmares. "Come on. Let's go."

* * *

A/N: What you might expect to happen, didn't. No crazy assassin with plot-armor thicker than Shepard's. I mean, even Shepard could be killed, but Kai Leng just keeps regenerating. No Kai Leng, no Thane's premature exit.

Also, with Kaidan's relationships with Shepard and Miranda, there's no need for unnecessary drama. His participation in part 2 of this story set a stage for this version of the coup. No distrust, no misunderstandings.

And then there's Udina. I have several versions of the final standoff between Udina and Shepard. In the first two, he was killed. This one, Kaidan disabled Udina (because, same as ending on Mars, I remember Alenko is a biotic.)

I've been setting things up for this chapter for so long, it's a relief it's finally out. Hope you liked it!

Thanks for reading!

Contact info: gmail – pinoko19, tumblr – pinoko-k.


	13. Chapter 12: Sanity Check

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chapter 12: Sanity Check

Year: 2186CE

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, Captain's Cabin

Shepard didn't stir until the beeping sound of the alarm clock woke her. Within seconds, the alarm stopped without her moving one muscle. The warm body next to hers soon retreated. That didn't bother her much. She merely rolled over and buried half of her face onto the pillow, and allowed sleep to once again take over.

The next thing that woke her up was a gentle kiss on her forehead. Shepard opened her eyes just in time to catch a figure moving out of sight. Her hand darted out from within the warm blanket and caught his wrist.

"Where do you think you're going?" she mumbled, tugging him back to her bedside.

"I've a meeting with the Council," said Kaidan, sitting down on the bed. He was already fully dressed. And shaved. A few days worth of stubble gone. "And you..." He brushed some errand strands of hair off her face. "...have an appointment with Chakwas."

"I do?"

"In an hour. Don't even think about skipping the appointment."

"And if I skip?"

"Don't. You almost died on me on Mars. Even an upgraded superwoman can't be 100% in a month." His gaze landed on her bruised shoulder. His fingers lightly brushed the purple patch all the way down to her bare back. "Does it hurt?"

"No."

"The bruise looks pretty bad."

"I've had worse."

"Sorry."

"Hey, it's okay." Shepard took his hand in hers. "Could have been much worse than a nasty bruise. Fractured bones, broken spine. You held back, didn't you?"

"Yeah. I tried to hold back my biotics when I saw you. It was too late; I couldn't retract it."

"It was a smart tactical maneuver. You had to protect three civilians, and the lobby outside the elevator was a perfect place for ambush. A preemptive attack would clear a path for the Council to escape. At worst, you'd knock over some plants."

"Or hurt the person I love."

"Miranda?"

Kaidan gave her an exasperated look, although he couldn't help but laugh. "God, no. That woman scares the hell out of me. Don't tell her I said that." He checked the time. "I've to go. Don't forget to stop by the med bay."

"I'll go see Chakwas. But you owe me a date."

"Are you asking me out, Commander?"

"I wasn't asking, Major."

"Well, I doubt the Citadel returns back to normal overnight. But we'll find somewhere." He leaned down to give her a soft peck on the lips. "I'll see you after the meeting."

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, Med Bay

"Shepard, perfect timing," said Mordin the moment Shepard stepped into the med bay. "Cure synthesized."

Shepard almost didn't know how to react. Good news was too hard to come by these days. "That was fast."

"Not difficult. Similar to genophage modification project. Working against own alteration this time. Not as simple as garbage DNA blocking attachment sites. Need to counteract shutdown of redundant nervous system, adjust neurotransmitter levels-"

"Got it," she stopped the professor. "I'll cancel the shore leave. We're off to Tuchanka."

"Not yet. Need to synthesize more for the entire population."

"How long is it going to take?"

"Fifty hours, without interruption."

"Nice work, Mordin. I'm glad you changed your mind on the genophage project."

"Never changed mind. Genophage proper decision at time. New circumstances necessitate course correction."

"You mean the Reapers."

The professor nodded. "Turians doomed without krogan support. Krogan need unified threat, outlet for aggression. Cooperative symbiosis."

"That's it? No personal stake here?"

"Getting old, Shepard. Not many years left. But still best candidate for project. Few salarian scientists interested in genophage. None with my expertise. Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong. My work. My job to put it right. To prove I can."

"And now you've proved it."

"One more step. Need to deliver cure to Tuchanka. Dispense it." Mordin tapped his chin, thinking. "Will consider options while working."

"Thank you, Mordin." Shepard turned to leave, only to be stopped by the professor.

"Unwise to ignore injuries," said Mordin while staring into the microscope. "Heard about fail assassination on Mars. Broken ribs, painful. Difficulty breathing. Jagged edge could damage blood vessels or organs. Punctured lungs, lacerated liver, kidneys-"

"Okay, I get it."

"Chakwas will return shortly. Suggest taking a seat." He suddenly looked up from the microscope. "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Trypanophobic."

"What?"

"Afraid of needles. Common phobia. Need not embarrass. Doctor-patient confidentiality. Will keep secret."

* * *

Location: Citadel, Lower Wards

The Citadel was a mess, thanks to Cerberus. Broken windows and store fronts lined the once busy streets. Most people chose to lock themselves inside their homes the morning after the attack. A smart decision, really, but it was something Miranda couldn't afford to do. Not after a message she had received earlier this morning.

Among a few shops that were opened, Miranda stopped by one of them. She stepped up to one of the automated consoles and browsed the latest selections of omni-tools. A billboard nearby continuously blasted an advertisement in a loop. Miranda blocked the annoying noise out of her head.

Soon enough, a man stepped up to the console next to hers. "Heard you're back."

"You're late," said Miranda under her breath.

"Yes, but I have good news."

Miranda didn't bother to reply.

"I've found her."

Her hand on the console froze. "Where?"

"It cost me a lot to find-"

"Where is she?" Miranda repeated, her hand suddenly glowed.

"Hey, easy..." The man stepped back and tossed a glance at the billboard next to them.

The advertisement was selling a facility called Sanctuary, a place where all refugees were welcomed.

Miranda frowned at the vid, in which humans, turians, and salarians alike were all living happily in one big community. A safe haven, for a moderate fee... All sounded too good to be true. So was this news about her sister.

"Are you absolutely certain?" Miranda asked.

"Have I ever lied to you? Now, about the fee..."

Omni-tool lit up. "Here's half of it."

"What? But-"

"You'll get the other half plus a bonus when I find her." She turned to walk away, only to pause and add, "But if I find out you're lying, you'd better hope the Reapers get to you before I do."

* * *

Location: Citadel, C-Sec Headquarters

Among all the men in blue, Shepard spotted her target easily – the one who wasn't wearing a C-Sec uniform.

"Officer Vakarian!"

"Now, that's a name I haven't heard for years," said Garrus.

"Special delivery." Shepard handed him a cup of coffee, which he gratefully accepted. "Not from your favorite shop, but it's the only place that opens."

"Much appreciated." After a much needed sip of coffee, he told her, "Among all the things Cerberus broke, they broke the only coffee machine in the station."

"I didn't come here just for the delivery. I have good news. Mordin has finished synthesizing the first batch of the cure. After he's done with the rest, we're off to Tuchunka."

Although subtle, there was a sigh of relief. "Palaven might have a chance."

"You're coming with us, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it for anything. I'm just a consultant here. A side job."

"And here I thought they're gonna make you the next executor."

"Sitting behind a desk, signing papers all day? Not for me."

"Shooting at bad guys is a lot more fun."

"You know me. I'll be here until we take off." He nodded at the half-empty station. "C-Sec is short-handed, to put it mildly. Half of the officers were either killed, or put behind bars."

"Traitors?"

"We rounded up more than a few – officers who got suckered in by the talks of helping humanity. In the end, they helped Cerberus."

"How's the investigation going?"

"We're sifting through evidence from Udina's office and apartment. From what we've gathered so far, Udina was trying to seize power to launch a counterattack on Earth."

"What? Did Udina really think he could just take over?"

"More or less."

"Doesn't make sense. Udina might be a back-stabbing son of a bitch, but he's not stupid. He had to know killing the councilors would be pointless; there will always be another set to replace them."

"We'll know more when that bastard wakes up."

"Vakarian, sir," a C-Sec officer then called. "We're heading out."

"On my way," said Garrus, draining his cup of coffee. "We're going back to Udina's office. Wanna come?"

"Sorry, have a date. Have fun." Shepard then remembered. "Hey, Garrus, I've been wondering..."

"Yes?"

"The general on Menae saluted you and called you 'sir.' So..."

"...So?"

It was hard to suppress a smirk, but Shepard managed. "How far along the line of succession are you?"

There was no reply but a cough.

His lack of response only amused Shepard even more. "Will there be a Primarch Vakarian anytime soon?"

"Don't hold your breath." Her twin put a hand on her shoulder and ushered her out of the station. "Anyway, don't you have a date to go to? If you overlook the bullet holes and the blood stains, the Presidium is still as lovely as ever."

* * *

Location: Citadel, Presidium, Cafe

"Surprised this place still opens," said Kaidan, sitting across from Shepard.

"And it looks the same." Shepard glanced around. No bullet holes, no blood stain. "I remember the first time we came here."

"Almost four years ago. You were craving for hot chocolate."

"And you found a place that had hot chocolate on the menu."

Kaidan smiled at the memories. "A lot of things have happened. I'm glad we can take the time to seat down and relax. I could use a sanity check."

"Yeah, it's been pretty crazy. The Reapers, Cerberus, and now Udina." Shepard took a sip of her hot chocolate. "So, how's the meeting?"

Kaidan hesitated for a second before he answered, "The Council is going to induct me as their Spectre. The ceremony is tomorrow."

Shepard arched an eyebrow. "So you've finally decided."

"Hard to say no when three councilors are starting at you, expecting you to say yes."

"Took you long enough to consider," said Shepard with a tiny teasing grin.

"I don't make life-changing decisions lightly," Kaidan countered. "You know, I'm surprised they still offered me the position."

"Why? They wanted you even before the coup. And you're the only person who stormed their tower and came to their rescue."

"I almost handed them over to Cerberus."

"You didn't know. None of us did. Hell, even our Shadow Broker didn't."

"Liara has lost a lot of her agents to the Reaper invasion. Not her fault."

"Neither is yours." Shepard leaned forth, her elbows on the table. "You deserve this, Spectre Alenko."

"Spectre..." he chewed the word, shaking his head almost as if he couldn't believe it. "You've set the bar pretty high."

"As their most problematic Spectre, I'm only second to Saren." She gave him a quick once-over. "And I have a feeling Tevos already likes you."

"Speaking of, Tevos promised she'll send scientists to help with the Crucible."

Another good news. Shepard almost couldn't believe their luck. "After saving their asses twice, they finally listen."

"You know, I didn't think we had much hope when we left Earth. But now, I think our chances are pretty good."

For the first time, Shepard saw a silver lining. "With the turian fleets and the krogan infantry, we could win this war."

"Can't wait to head back to Earth," said Kaidan with a quiet sigh. "When this is over, there's going to be one hell of a reunion party."

"When this is over," said Shepard, leaning back on the chair. "I'm going to sleep for a month. And don't wake me up."

* * *

Location: Citadel, Presidium

It was a perfect picture. A man and a woman sitting across each other at an nondescript cafe. In their world, there were only each other.

The smile on his face was gentle. His eyes lit up, never left her for more than a few seconds. That playful wrinkle of her nose was subtle, but for a woman who had the galaxy on her shoulders, it was a rare sight.

Shepard and Alenko. Miranda had once observed them from afar three years ago after the battle of the Citadel. And now, three years later, after another attack on the Citadel, things didn't seem to have changed. The way he looked at her as if she was his entire world, the gentle smile she only reserved for him when she thought they were alone.

Among the chaos and destruction, it was a beautiful moment. But as much as Miranda hated to disrupt their well-deserved break, she had to. She was running out of time.

"Sorry to interrupt," Miranda announced her untimely arrival as she approached their table.

"How did you find us?" asked Shepard, surprised but not at all annoyed.

 _Your omni-tool._ "I have my ways."

As gentleman as ever, Kaidan motioned at the empty chair by the table, to which Miranda declined.

There was no easy way to say this. "I have to leave," Miranda told them.

"What?" Both stared at her, wide-eye, in unison.

"I'm going after my sister."

"You've found her?" asked Shepard.

"In a place called Sanctuary on Horizon."

Both frowned slightly, Miranda noticed.

"Never heard of it when I was there," said Kaidan.

"It's supposed to be a safe haven for war refugees," said Miranda.

"A perfect place to blend in and hide," said Shepard.

"The Reapers are still out there," said Kaidan. "It might safer for your sister to stay there meanwhile."

"Maybe." Miranda shook her head. "...But I won't be able to sleep until I'm sure she's okay."

"How did you find out?" asked Shepard after a pause.

"I have my sources."

"You sure you can trust the intel?"

"I've only paid for half of the fee," said Miranda. "If this turns out to be a lie, the other half of the payment will be a bullet between his eyes. My informant knows that."

Miranda looked straight at Shepard. Wear and tear had started to show on the commander's face. The weight of the galaxy could be suffocatingly heavy, but Shepard was not alone. Alenko, Vakarian, T'Soni, all would follow Shepard straight to hell if that's where she was going.

Oriana, however, only had her big sister.

"I have to do this, Aerin," said Miranda. _I'm sorry._

Nodding slowly, Shepard then asked, "When are you leaving?"

"Tonight."

"The Illusive Man is still looking for you. Be careful, Miranda."

"I can't promise you that. Can you?"

Shepard didn't reply to that. "Stay in contact."

"I'll try." Miranda then turned to the major and said, "She's all yours, Kaidan." _Watch her back._

The man nodded knowingly. Message received. "Good luck out there."

* * *

A/N: The title should be "Good news, everyone." Everybody needs a break now and then, even Shepard.

The first date Shepard was referring to, took place in part 1, ch 17-18.

A reply to Lucy (sorry, don't know how else to respond to you) – I didn't know Kaidan was originally supposed to kill Udina with his biotics. Wish Bioware would go that route. As for Alenko in this story, I don't think he'd kill Udina if he could help it. He'd disable Udina and let the Council deal with him, the legal and proper way. Out of all the biotics, I think only Jack would kill Udina. Kaidan, Liara, and Miranda would spare him, but for different reasons.

Anyway, thanks for reading! And thank you for the review!

Contact info: gmail – pinoko19, tumblr – pinoko-k.


	14. Chapter 13: The Cure

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chapter 13: The Cure

Year: 2186CE

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, Communications Room

She was the last person Shepard expected to see.

"Dalatress?"

"Commander Shepard. Congratulations. I've heard the Council offers your their support."

"Are you here to offer me yours?"

"It depends on you."

"What do you mean?"

"We know you are heading to Tuchanka. And, by now, I imagine Mordin Solus has proposed using the Shroud."

Shepard scowled at the hologram. "Are you spying on us?"

The dalatress snorted. "Hardly. The Shroud is the only viable course of action open to you. Years ago, our operatives sabotaged the Shroud facility to ensure what you're planning couldn't be done."

"You what?"

"A contingency plan, Commander," said Linron with a ghost of a smug smirk.

"And you're telling me this? Why?"

"Because Mordin will likely detect this malfunction and repair it. But if you ensure he doesn't, then the cure's viability will be altered just enough so that it fails. No one will notice the change."

"You want me to sabotage the cure? I risked lives of my team to retrieve the female. Why the hell would I do that?"

"We've heard about the Crucible – your secret weapon to defeat the Reapers. We can provide you our very best scientists to help with the project... and the full support of our fleets."

Shepard had to draw a long breath.

"Consider what will happen if you don't sabotage the cure," the dalatress continued. "The krogan will reproduce out of control. We uplifted them specifically for their violent nature, not their diplomatic skills. Another war is inevitable."

"Let's deal with one war at a time. And we need to stand together to fight the Reapers."

"Do you honestly believe curing the genophage will end in lasting peace?" The dalatress shook her head in both disapproval and disappointment. "The entire galaxy will need time to recover after this war, and the krogan won't give us that time. They want revenge for the genophage, Commander. They will attack while we are weak."

"We have to give the krogan a chance, Dalatress. You can't condemn an entire race to extinction based on what might happen."

"You can't allow the diplomatic pressures of this war to cloud your judgment, Commander. Or is it your emotion that is blinding you? Your ties with Clan Urdnot."

There was no use to deny facts.

"Urdnot Wrex is only one krogan," said Linron. "He, alone, cannot stop the rest of the clans if they demand blood."

Shepard felt a headache building fast.

"Think about it, Commander. Consider my proposal: A perfect compromise for both of us. The krogan need not to be any wiser. Let Urdnot Wrex believe you fulfilled your promise. Then, you will have the krogan's support... and the salarian's."

"...If I sabotage the cure."

"Sacrifice in war is expected. The choice is yours, Commander Shepard."

The image of the dalatress disappeared, but her words echoed inside Shepard's head.

If she played her hands right, she could get the support of both the krogan and the salarians. It was an ideal picture – the entire galaxy united against the Reapers. And the price?

 _Son of a bitch._ Shepard tapped on her earpiece. "Liara, did you hear that?"

"Yes, I heard."

"Find out if the Shroud has really been sabotaged. And I need an update on the things I asked you to look into." Shepard then pressed a button on the comm systems. "Alenko, Vakarian. Conference room. Now."

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, Conference Room

"Don't tell me you're even considering it," said Kaidan.

Shepard didn't answer.

"Anyone would have second thoughts," said Garrus.

"We need to win this war," said Kaidan, "but not like this."

"A few years ago," said Garrus, "I would've said it's too much to pay. But now... if there was a deal that could save Palaven, I wouldn't be so certain."

Shepard studied her twin. "You'd take the deal?"

"I don't know," Garrus breathed. "You humans have a saying: Desperate times call for desperate measures. If this isn't desperate time, I don't know what is."

"Sacrificing the krogan's future for the salarian support?" Kaidan shook his head. "We're not playing a damn chess game, Aerin."

"I did it before, on Virmire."

"That was different," Kaidan argued. "Saren was trying to produce an army of krogan slaves. This time, you're giving hope back to the krogan. Besides, Mordin will never go along with it."

Garrus nodded. "And then, there's Wrex. He will figure out sooner or later. And when he does, it won't be pretty."

Shepard regretted not hosting this classified meeting at the bar a deck below.

"The Shroud has indeed been tempered with," said Liara, entering the conference room. "STG had deleted the records, but everything leaves a track. And your hunch is correct, Aerin. Dalatress Linron was the one who tipped off Cerberus about Eve."

The knot between Shepard's brows tightened. "She's doing everything to make sure there's no cure."

"That includes trying to kill you on Sur'kesh," said Kaidan. "How can we even trust her?"

"So what are you going to do, Aerin?" asked Garrus.

"Commander!" said Joker over the comm. "Hostiles detected at the landing coordinates."

"What's going on?" asked Shepard, scowling.

"Sensors show a Reaper parked at the Shroud facility," the pilot reported. "No way you're going to be able to land a shuttle there."

 _Goddammit!_ "Get everyone in the war room."

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, War Room

"New form of Reaper, Shepard," said Mordin, studying the data with a frown. "Using Shroud to poison Tuchanka's atmosphere. Problematic."

"They want a fight?" said Wrex, slamming his fist onto the table. "They just got one!"

"Primarch," said Shepard, "we're going to need your help."

"That could be difficult," said Victus. "Our losses on Palaven has been catastrophic."

"We're doing this for Palaven," Shepard reminded him. "No one said it would be easy."

"What do you have in mind?" the primarch asked.

"A combined attack. Your people hit the Reaper with an airstrike. Wrex, at the same time your soldiers will be attacking from the ground. Together, you can draw it away from the tower."

Mordin nodded. "Yes, distraction. Small team can reach Shroud facility, finish synthesizing cure. Will need Eve to come with us."

"We need to land our shuttle somewhere." Shepard turned to the krogan. "Wrex?"

"We can land here." Wrex pointed at the map. "The Hollows. It's our sacred meeting ground. I'll order the clans to assemble there and take an armored convoy against the Reaper. This will be the defining moment of krogan history."

"Krogan history filled with defining moments," Mordin pointed out. "Most bloody. Hope this one better."

"We've never faced a Reaper up close like this," said Shepard. "Everyone on board?"

Wrex snorted. "There's even a doubt? Let's move, pyjak. It's time to cure the genophage!"

* * *

Location: Tuchanka, The Hollows

"I've never seen so many krogan under one roof without a fight or two brewing," commented Garrus.

The arena within a pyramid shaped ancient structure was filled with krogan from various clans. Shepard and her team earned more than a few stares as they walked down the stairs into the center of the Hollows.

It was hardly surprising, though. With a team of turian, salarian, and asari, it was almost a miracle that no krogan had jumped on them yet.

"Perhaps with the Reapers as their common enemies," said Shepard, "they could finally work together instead of shooting each other."

"When the krogan are united," said Liara, "they could do almost anything. History has shown us that."

"Maybe that's what the dalatress is afraid of," said Kaidan. "A united krogan force that seeks revenge on the genophage."

"Shepard?"

Her name was called from the crowd. Among one group nearby, Shepard spotted a familiar krogan in light silver armor, the plate on his head had yet to be fused.

"Grunt?"

"Shepard!" The young krogan elbowed his companions away and shoved the crowd aside as he rushed to her, laughing in pure glee. "Heh! Shepard! Heh-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

The affectionate punch on her shoulder was strong enough to push her back a step. Shepard stifled a wince. "What are you doing here?" she asked, punching back.

"I could ask you the same," said Grunt. "Didn't those idiots lock you up?"

"They did. Then the Reapers came."

"Yeah. They got bigger problems, all right. It's why I'm running Aralakh Company." He jabbed a thumb at the group of krogan he'd left behind.

"Your own team?"

Grunt nodded. "They're tough, think they're invincible. Reckless, but effective."

"Sounds like someone I know."

"Heh, heh. When Wrex put Aralakh Company together, he needed a leader who represented the future of our species." He gave her another punch on the shoulder, softer this time. "Thanks to you, I completed my Rite of Passage on Tuchanka and became part of Clan Urdnot. I was an equal. And being the strongest, I was chosen to lead this honored company. I collected a few scars earning my place here." He pointed at the visible ones proudly. "These krogan respect me."

"Our little guy's all grown up," said Garrus.

Although the young krogan towered over her, Shepard would always see him as a kid. "I still remember that day I opened your tank."

The young krogan grinned happily. "Heh. Glad you're here to crack some heads!"

"Just like old times, Grunt," said Garrus.

"Heh, heh, heh!"

Just then, Wrex's voice boomed throughout the Hollows as he led the rest of his clan to join the meeting, "They'll sing battle-songs about this someday! Reaper blood has finally soaked our soil!"

"What's a salarian doing here?" asked a krogan within Clan Urdnot. "Nobody said anything about this!"

All krogan's eyes were on Mordin immediately.

"Multiple krogan," mumbled Mordin. "Problematic."

"Who are you?" asked Shepard, taking a protective step in front of the professor.

"Urdnot Wreav, brood brother to our... illustrious leader."

"Wreav and I share the same mother," said Wrex. "And nothing else."

"For which I'm thankful," said Wreav. "I remember what it means to be a true krogan."

His men roared in agreement.

Wreav continued, "We flay our enemies alive and drown them in a geyser of their own blood. We don't invite them into our home."

 _'They want revenge for the genophage, Commander.'_ The dalatress' warning suddenly rang inside Shepard's head. ' _They will attack while we are weak.'_

"This salarian is not your enemy," said Shepard. "He's here to help cure the genophage."

"His kind gave us the genophage!" said Wreav, closing the distance with an accusing finger pointing right at Mordin. "Why should we trust him?"

Wrex headbutted his brother to stop him in his tracks. "Because I do. And so will you, Wreav."

Wreav and his men pulled out their guns as their reply.

"...Oh crap," mumbled Garrus.

"ENOUGH!" Standing high on the steps, the only female krogan in the Hollows yelled. Slowly, Eve stepped down, commanding the attention of all the males in the hall. "You can stay here and let old wounds fester as krogan have always done..." She stopped in between the two brothers, glaring at both, then continued her way to the other side of the arena. The crowd parted on its own as she walked through. "...Or you can fight the enemy you were born to destroy, and win a new future for our children." She paused on her way to the exit and turned to the silent crowd. "I choose to fight. Who will join me?"

"I will," said Shepard immediately.

"And so will I," said Wrex. "Now hold your heads up like true krogan! There's a Reaper that needs killing!"

* * *

Location: Tuchanka, Armored Convoy

"Krogan ground convoy," said a turian pilot through the radio, "this is turian wing Artimec. Our flight vector to the Shroud is locked. We are ten minutes out and counting."

"Copy that, Artimec," said Shepard. "We're on our way, trying to make up lost time. Shepard out."

Around a hundred trucks were speeding down the bumpy roads. Leading the convoy was a truck driven by the chief of Clan Urdnot.

"Wreave isn't the only krogan who wants revenge for the genophage, Wrex," said Eve. "You'll have to placate them somehow."

 _'Urdnot Wrex is only one krogan. He, alone, cannot stop the rest of the clans if they demand blood.'_

"I'll demand that the Council return some of our old territory," said Wrex without directly addressing the issue. "We'll need room to expand – recapture the glory of the ancients."

"'Glory of ancients' led to Krogan Rebellions," Mordin pointed out. "Countless deaths. Creation of genophage. Expansion plan... problematic."

 _'Do you honestly believe curing the genophage will end in lasting peace?'_

"Commander," called Eve, "you seemed troubled."

The female's face was all shrouded, except for those eyes that could look right into Shepard's heart.

"Everything is on the line," said Shepard carefully.

"Have faith," Eve told her soothingly. "No matter the adversity we face, some moments are destined to happen." Her quiet voice took a firmer turn. "This is one of them."

"What were the ancient krogan like?" asked Liara.

"Tuchanka wasn't always a wasteland," said Eve. "In the old times, the krogan were a proud people. We had dreams... a future to look forward to."

"Until salarian interference," said Mordin.

"No," said Eve. "We destroyed Tuchanka ourselves. Technology changed us. It made life too easy. So we looked for new challenges – and found them in each other. Nuclear war was inevitable."

"And our planet is rubble," said Wrex. "We'll need a better place to live."

"Helping defeat the Reapers would be worth a new planet," said Garrus. "Or two."

"Or ten," said Wrex. "You haven't seen how fast we can pop them out."

"Wrex..." chided Eve.

"What?" The chief shrugged behind the wheel. "With the genophage cured we'll have a lot of catching up to do."

Krogan expansion. A lone voice among millions. How long could Wrex maintain the peace? Shepard studied her old friend – the chief of one clan. One clan among many.

Eve ignored the chief and studied Shepard instead. "There's that look in your eyes again, Commander. What's troubling you?"

A few years ago, on the sunny beach on Virmire, Shepard had shoved her shotgun right under Wrex's throat, while Wrex pointing his at hers. Negotiation was then done at gunpoint, death was avoided, all because of one thing: Trust. Wrex had trusted her enough to allow the cure of genophage to be destroyed. And she had trusted him enough to know he would let her do the right thing.

Perhaps she should trust him once again.

"The dalatress offered me a deal," said Shepard.

"What kind of deal?" asked Wrex with a scowl.

"Her full support for the Crucible Project," Shepard told them. "And in return... She wanted me to stop the cure."

"She what?" Wrex roared. "Shepard!"

"Would I tell you this if I planned to sabotage the cure?" Shepard snapped.

"Difficult moral circumstances," said Mordin with a sharp breath. "Salarian assistance reluctant. Minimal. Need their loyal for intel, assistance with Crucible. Understandable. But not acceptable. Will not sacrifice krogan for political gain."

"Neither will I," said Shepard. "The dalatress said they sabotaged the Shroud years ago. The cure won't work unless we fix it."

"Of course." Mordin nodded slowly. "Shroud necessary for distribution. STG would have backup plan, contingency to stop cure."

"And she thought we wouldn't know better?" Wrex snorted.

"Correctly," said Mordin. "Would likely have fooled tests. But familiar with STG work. Can adjust. Did not come this far for nothing."

"You just spared our race another genocide, Commander," said Eve.

"I told you we could count on her," said Wrex.

"We've got company," said Kaidan, looking out the tiny window of the truck.

"Reaper ground force?" asked Shepard.

"Rachni. Mutated ones."

That was a species Shepard thought she'd seen the last of. "Rachni? You sure?"

"Hard to forget," Kaidan replied. "It was that secret lab back on Noveria."

"It doesn't make sense," said Garrus. "We let that last rachni queen live on the condition she disappear forever."

"I told you to wipe them out, Shepard," said Wrex. "Doesn't matter. We're not going to stop because of some rachni. Still know how to shoot a cannon, Vakarian?"

"I can do it in my sleep," said Garrus, jumping onto the gunner seat.

The truck suddenly shook.

"Did you run over some rachni?" asked Garrus.

"No," said Wrex. "I'm not Shepard."

Soon came more tremors.

"Earthquake?" asked Kaidan.

"That didn't feel like a quake," said Liara.

"It could be something else," said Eve. "It is said that Kalros, the mother of all thresher maws, lives in this region."

"I didn't know thresher maws have names," said Shepard.

"They don't," said Wrex. "Only this one."

"When the krogan name a thresher maw," said Garrus, "you know you're in trouble. They don't think anyone's ever going to kill it."

The road soon ended with desert in front of them. And at the end of it stood a needle-like tower. The Shroud.

"There it is." Wrex pointed. "We'll cut through this valley. And-"

The truck suddenly jumped, tossing Shepard onto the floor. "The hell-"

"It's Kalros!" yelled Wrex.

The thresher maw smashed their vehicle from below the sand, sending it tumble in the air, like a toy car mishandled by a tantrum-throwing brat. By sheer luck, their truck landed on its wheels instead of its roof.

"Kalros' territorial instinct confirmed!" said Mordin.

Crawling her way back upright, Shepard peeked through the window. Chasing their convoy, hot on their trail, was the biggest thresher maw Shepard had ever seen – and she had seen more than enough to last a lifetime. Kalros, the mother of all thresher maw was almost as big as a Reaper, but ten times more agile. For a creature that size, the maw weaved in and out of the sand like a water snake, smashing the few trucks that were unfortunate enough to be too close to it.

 _SHIT!_

"Get the hell out of here!" said Shepard.

"She's not gonna get us!" said Wrex.

"Thresher maw getting closer!" said Mordin.

"Tell me something I don't know!" said Wrex.

To that, Mordin yelled, "Metal in truck an excellent iron supplement for maw's diet!"

"Stick to the edge of the desert, Wrex!" said Eve. "You're heading too close to her nest!"

"Wreave, stick close!" said Wrex to the other convoy.

"Drive faster!" yelled Wreav over the comm. "I can smell the damn thing's breath!"

"Shake it off, Wrex!" said Shepard.

"Why don't you drive, Shepard?" shouted Wrex.

"Bad idea," said Garrus.

"What are you waiting for, Vakarian?" said Wrex. "Shoot it!"

"Don't!" said Shepard. "You're going to piss her off even more!"

Then the truck behind flipped in the air and landed right on Kalros' waiting tentacles.

"It's Wreav!" said Shepard, watching as the thresher maw pulled the destroyed truck into the sand.

"No way he survived that," said Wrex with a nonchalant wave. "He was a pain in the ass, anyway."

The attack stopped as they were moving far away from her nest. Kalros didn't bother to chase as her message was sent: Get away from my nest, or else. With the intruders gone, the mother of all thresher maws retreated back under the ground and disappeared.

It was hard to tell how many trucks were gone, but there was one particular truck Shepard cared about most.

Shepard immediately tapped on her earpiece. "Grunt? Grunt, you there?"

"Heh heh heh!" Came that familiar little laugh. "That was fun, Shepard!" Grunt replied through the radio. "Wish I had time to go out there and kill it!"

"It's called the mother of all thresher maw for a reason, Grunt." Shepard breathed a silent sigh of relief. "I need you alive to kick the Reaper's ass. Shepard out."

"This planet is a giant deathtrap," said Liara, panting.

"And the thing is," said Garrus. "I bet Wrex is enjoying this."

"You all right?" Shepard asked Eve, who was already being scanned by Mordin.

"I am fine, Commander."

"Heart rate, blood pressure elevated," said the professor. "Vitals otherwise strong. Suggest restraining harness next time. Though prefer no further encounter with Kalros."

Shepard made another call. "Turian wing Artimec, this is Shepard. We've been delayed – hold off your attack."

"Negative, Commander," the pilot reported. "Our approach is locked. The Reapers already knows we're here!"

"Damn it."

From a distance, Shepard saw the Reaper sweeping its laser beam across the air, shooting more than a few fighters before they could get close.

"Commander, we have to abort!" said the turian pilot. "That Reaper's tearing us to pieces!"

"Understood," said Shepard. "Save your pilots – we'll find another way."

"And how the hell are we going to get a Reaper off a giant tower?" mumbled Garrus under his breath.

"You worry too much, Garrus," said Wrex, full speed ahead. "Nothing's going to stop the cure! Not even a Reaper."

* * *

A/N: Too much going on. Tuchanka needs more than one chapter. Coming up: "Had to be me." Oh god. This is a damn AU, right? Right...

Thanks for reading!

Contact info: gmail – pinoko19, tumblr – pinoko-k.


	15. Chapter 14: Had to be Me

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chapter 14: Had to be Me

Year: 2186CE

Location: Tuchanka, Shroud Arena

"I know the odds don't usually mean much to us..." said Liara, staring up at the Reaper leeching on the Shroud. "But I don't think even we can make it to that tower."

Even at a safe distance, the scene sent a chill down Shepard's spine. The last time she had seen the Reapers upclose was back on Vancouver, where a dozen of them had descended from the sky without warnings. Those were the creatures that were decimating Earth, annihilating Pavalen. Those were the creatures Anderson had to fight on daily basis.

"We're curing the genophage no matter what it takes!" claimed Wrex. "Everything my people will ever be depends on it!"

"Kalros," said Eve suddenly.

Shepard turned to her. "What?"

"We can summon her to the Reaper," Eve told them.

"Would that even work?" asked Garrus.

Mordin nodded. "Yes. Need to distract Reaper. Draw it from tower while cure released."

"What makes you so sure she'll come?" asked Shepard.

"Legends says she is the mother from which all other thresher maw spawn," said Eve. "This is as much her own as ours."

"If Tuchanka has a temper," said Wrex, "Kalros is it. Nobody's ever faced her and survived."

"This is crazy," mumbled Shepard.

"And going head-to-head with Sovereign didn't?" Wrex pointed out. "This is the only way to get to that tower and release the cure. There's no other choice."

"But how would we summon her?" asked Kaidan.

"The tower was built in an arena devoted to Kalros' glory," said Eve. "The salarians thought she would scare away intruders."

"Appears to have worked," Mordin added.

"There are two maw hammers, the largest in existence," Eve explained, pointing at two opposite corners of the arena. "If you can activate them, Kalros will come. That should distract the Reaper."

"Meanwhile, laboratory nearby," said Mordin. "Will finish synthesizing cure."

Shepard surveyed the location. One giant hammer on the far right of the arena, the other one on the left. "It's going take a while to get both activated."

"Lucky for you," said Wrex, "I'm here. You take one, and I'll take other other."

"Okay, we'll split up-"

Standing on the roof of one of the trucks, Grunt suddenly yelled, "Rachni incoming!"

 _Goddammit!_

But before Shepard could bark out an order, the young krogan immediately volunteered, "Shepard, I've got this!" Grunt jumped down onto the ground and point his shotgun at the incoming horde of rachni. "Aralakh Company, move out!"

With a roar, the young leader charged toward the enemies, his men following close to his heels.

Folding his arms, Wrex observed quietly for a second. "That kid has potential."

"Of course," Shepard replied like a proud parent. "He's my krogan."

"But I'm your favorite, right?"

Shepard let a tiny smirk show. "No comment."

"I know I am. Ready to make history?"

"Let's do this." She turned to the rest of the team. "Kaidan, you and James escort Eve to the lab. Garrus, go with Wrex. Liara, with me."

Wrex stepped up to Mordin and towered over him. "Keep her safe. Or else."

Unfazed, the professor deflected the glare with a steady stare. "My patient. My responsibility. Her welfare a priority. Will not allow her to be compromised by anyone."

The giant krogan backed down with a nod of approval. "You've got a quad, Doctor."

"Be careful, everyone," said Shepard. "The rachni and the Reaper ground forces are everywhere. Let's make sure we all get out of here alive."

* * *

"By the Goddess! To our left!" Liara warned.

Shepard jumped away in time to avoid the Reaper's beam. The laser scotched the ground, cutting the ancient arena like a hot knife through butter.

Biting back a curse, Shepard rolled back to her feet. "You all right?"

"I think so," said Liara, pushing herself up from the ground.

"Come on, run!"

The moment those words left her mouth, another laser beam burnt its way to their location. Shepard ran for her life. The arena shook underneath her boot as she dashed and jumped. She had never been this close to a Reaper's beam – so close she could feel the heat through her armor, burning her skin.

"We have the Reaper's full attention, Aerin!"

"Just keep moving!" yelled Shepard over her shoulder as they ran. "Stick to cover!"

The laser swept across the ground nearby, pulverizing a series of rock columns ahead of them.

"I don't think the covers are going to work!"

Another blast, another close brush with death.

"That was too close!" said Liara.

"Don't stop!" Shepard dodged and rolled away from the laser. "Move!"

Shepard charged forward with her eyes on only two things: The hammer and the Reaper's beam.

Although the laser beam soon lost its monopoly as the current death threat, as an army of brutes suddenly emerged from the ruin.

"Goddess!"

"We don't have time to take them all out," said Shepard. "RUN!"

A second later, Shepard felt a wave of energy flew by and created a giant dark purple sphere near the brutes. The mass effect field held the creatures back, buying them enough time to sprint past without a fight.

"Nice one, Liara!"

Another group appeared to block their path. Frowning, Shepard mumbled a curse and pulled out her rifle.

"Step aside!" warned Liara as she caught up with Shepard.

Shepard sidestepped and felt two consecutive biotic waves zoomed past her, in which the second one set off an explosion to take out the group in one simple attack.

"And that's why I love biotics!" said Shepard as they continued to dash to the finish line.

Just then, a low hum echoed through the arena. Then came Wrex's voice through her radio, "Okay, Shepard. We raised the hammer! Hurry up!"

"There's a Reaper in my way, Wrex!" Shepard snapped.

"I know!" The chief laughed. "You get all the fun! My advice is avoid the giant laser!"

Said deadly red beam found its targets. Shepard held back a scream as she threw herself sideways to avoid the burning path.

"Over on our left!" yelled Liara. "The hammer!"

 _Finally._ "We're almost there. Come one!"

Now, if they could avoid the giant laser for thirty seconds longer...

Then, right above, more than a few turian fighters zoomed across the hazy sky.

"Commander, this is Artimec Wing! We'll try to give that Reaper something else to shoot at!"

Shepard slowed down and looked at the sky above. The Reaper's attention had turned to the pesky little planes that were shooting at it. While alone, the turian fighters were not enough to destroy the Reaper, they had brought Shepard valuable time.

"Goddess be with them," mumbled Liara under her breath.

"Go!" urged Shepard. "Let's push ahead!"

* * *

"In my younger days," said Liara as she investigated the device near the hammer. "I would have loved to spend days exploring this ruin."

"Shepard!" said Wrex over the radio. "Get that second hammer going!"

"Our expert archaeologist is working on it," Shepard replied.

"I'm not an archaeologist but I got mine work."

"We're not krogan, Wrex!"

"Yeah? But you're an honorary one. So step on it!"

"There..." said Liara, activating the hammer. A loud hum vibrated through the air.

Shepard quickly looked around. If she overlooked the battle between a giant Reaper and the turian ships above, the arena was motionless.

"Doesn't seem to work," said Shepard after a few seconds. "Wrex, you sure-"

Then, a series of small tremors shook the ground.

"There she is!" said Wrex almost too cheerfully through the radio

A sudden violent tremor threw Shepard off her feet, as the mother of all thresher maw shot up from under the ground nearby.

"Goddess!"

 _Shit!_

It was then Shepard realized the fatal flaw of their plan: They were right in the middle of the battleground between a giant thresher maw and a Reaper.

"She's coming!" Shepard yelled, scrambling back on her feet. "Get back to the truck!"

The Reaper responded, unattached itself from the tower and landed onto the arena. A giant metallic leg stomped right in front of Shepard's escape route, separating her from Liara.

"Aerin!"

"GO!" Shepard doubled back before another Reaper's leg crushed onto her.

She sprinted for her life and leaped onto one ruin structure to the next. Right above her, the Reaper's laser shot wildly, trying to target the thresher maw. But the mother of all thresher maw was faster than any maws Shepard had ever seen. As big of a target she was, the beam never hit the maw. Kalros wormed her way in and out of the ground, avoiding the Reaper's attack while getting closer and closer to the intruder of her land.

On the ground of the arena, Shepard sprinted as the battle between the two giants continued. Stones and rubble rained from above, wearing down her kinect shield too fast for her liking. She had to get to a shelter, fast. The arena was torn to pieces by both Kalros and the Reapers. Shepard jumped on a fallen pillar to avoid the uneven ground, leaping from pillar to pillar as her makeshift bridges, as she ran away as fast as she could.

A warning sound on her armor soon beeped, reminding Shepard what she already knew: Her shield was almost depleted.

 _Goddammit!_

Then, the mother of all thresher maw suddenly sneaked up on the Reaper on its blindside and clamped her pair of pincers onto its body in a death grip.

The ground shook, throwing Shepard off her makeshift bridge. She landed hard onto the underground level of the arena. Her shield was gone, her bones felt every single bit of the shock. Gasping, Shepard struggled to get back on her feet. Her side burned in pain with every breath she took.

Light poured through from the hole she had fallen through. This particular area remained mostly undisturbed by the battle above. Something colorful on a wall nearby caught her attention.

 _A painting?_

Although faded and dimly lit, it was undoubtedly a wall mural of some sort.

 _Didn't know the krogan had art._

Just how much did she know about the krogan? Perhaps Eve was right – given a chance, the krogan could once again flourish.

A sudden ear-piecing screech of the maw vibrated through the hall; Kalros was nearby. Ignoring the protests of her bones and muscles, Shepard climbed through the rubble and made her way back to the arena ground.

Dust formed a thick fog around her, Shepard couldn't see beyond arm's length. But she could hear the thundering noises and feel the violent quakes all too well. She was close to the center of the battleground. Either a stomp from the Reaper or a smack from the maw would be the end of Aerin Shepard. She had to move. Now.

Shepard climbed back on one of the fallen pillars and resumed her escape. As dust around her started to settle, Shepard found the Reaper had moved further away, chasing the maw that had gone underground. She stopped and watched, despite a voice inside her screaming at her, telling her to run. Just as Shepard was about to comply to her rational side, Kalros shot up from the ground right in front of the Reaper, coiled herself onto it, and dragged it down into the ground.

Both giant creatures disappeared as sand and rocks began to fill the hole they'd left behind. Tremors subsided, soon stopped completely.

"Aerin!" Liara called through the radio. "Goddess, can you hear me?"

"I'm okay," Shepard replied, looking around to access her location. Nearby was a tall, needle-like building. Smoke and fire seeped through the cracks of the tower that had been damaged by the Reaper. "I'm at the Shroud. I'll check in with Mordin."

* * *

Location: Tuchanka, The Shroud

"Mordin, is the cure ready?" asked Shepard the second she charged into the hall at the base of the tower.

"Yes. Loaded for dispersal in two minutes," Mordin replied without looking up from the screen of the console. "Procedure traumatic for Eve, but not lethal. Maelon's research invaluable."

It was then she realized the hall was empty, except for the professor who was busy working at one of the consoles. No signs of Eve, Kaidan, or James.

"Where is she?"

"Headed to safety. Her survival fortunate. Will stabilize new government should Wrex get any ideas. Good match, promising future for krogan."

The cure for genophage – a chance to change history, to correct a mistake, and a bargaining chip on a galactic table. Boots would soon be on the ground for Palaven, and for Earth.

A sudden explosion from the tower above reminded Shepard they had overstayed their welcome. A piece of the outer structure fell from the Shroud and smashed onto a console nearby.

"Hurry, Mordin. We have to leave!"

"Control room at top of Shroud tower," said Mordin. "Must take elevator up."

 _What the hell?_ Shepard glanced up at the flaming building. "You crazy? This whole thing is coming apart!"

The professor stepped back from the console and looked straight at her. "Manual access required. Have to counteract STG sabotage. Ensure cure dispersed properly."

"It's too dangerous, Mordin!"

"Temperature variance could destroy cure. Time running out. Have to go up."

 _GODDAMMIT!_ "There's got to be another way!"

"Remote bypass impossible. STG countermeasures in place. No time to adjust cure for temperature variance." The professor studied the tower for a second. His eyes narrowed, contemplating. "No. No other option. Not coming back."

Those last three words chilled Shepard to bone. "No, not like this!"

Ignoring her protest, Mordin marched to the elevator with purpose in every stride. "Suggest you stay clear. Explosions likely to be problematic."

"Mordin, no!"

"Shepard, please." The professor's voice was strangely calm despite the chaos, despite his impending fate. Standing inside the elevator, he turned to Shepard and reasoned, "Need to do this. My project. My work. My cure. My responsibility."

 _Please... no..._ Something at her throat was strangling her. Shepard couldn't speak.

Mordin closed his eyes with a gentle smile. "Would have liked to run tests on the seashells."

When she found her voice, it was cracked. "...Mordin... I'm sorry."

"I'm not." The professor smiled at her, as cheerful as the day he had performed Gilbert and Sullivan back on the Normandy. "Had to be me."

The image of Mordin Solus somehow became blurry as Shepard watched, frozen.

Mordin pressed the console to close the elevator door, then looked into Shepard's eyes and told her one last time, "Someone else might have gotten it wrong."

* * *

Location: Tuchanka, Shroud Arena

Snow flakes fell from the sky. Shepard caught some on her palm. They melted on touch and became dust. No, it wasn't snow, but the cure. The future for the krogan, the latest masterpiece by Doctor Mordin Solus.

Shepard glanced up at the tower and watched the cure dispense into the atmosphere like a breath of fresh air that cleared the foggy sky. The optimist in her stared at the tip of the tower, hoping for a miracle, praying to whatever Gods out there for the safe return of her good friend.

Miracle – Shepard was no stranger to it. After all, against all odds, she had defeated Sovereign, destroyed the Collector base. To top it all off, she had even come back from dead. Was it too much to hope for another one?

And then, it happened.

The tip of the tower exploded like a firework. And the optimist in her died.

She couldn't tear her eyes away from the building. Standing as still as a statue, Shepard continued to stare, unblinking, until the image of the tower blurred. Very, very faintly, she could hear a familiar tune whispered inside her head.

 _...I've studies species turian, asari, and batarian..._

Shepard saluted the crumbling tower. _Thank you, Professor. It's been honor_.

The genophage was gone. And so was Mordin Solus.

* * *

Location: Tuchanka, The Hollows

"A long time ago," said Wrex, "my father betrayed me in this place. His own son. He tried to kill me. So I had to kill him..." He pointed at a piece of fallen structure. "Right over there. That's what the genophage reduced us to. Animals. But you changed that today, Shepard."

Eve nodded. "Now we'll fight for our children, not against them. It's just a pity Mordin had to die."

"He was a good friend," said Shepard. "He wouldn't have it any other way. And I'm sure wherever he is..." Shepard glanced up, swallowing hard before she could continue, "...he's putting a good word for us."

"Courageous little pyjak," said Wrex with a rare sigh. "A thousand years from now, we'll probably be singing songs about him." He then added with a chuckle, "We'll name one of the kids after him... Maybe a girl."

"Thank you for all that you've done, Commander," said Eve. "And know that Urdnot Bakara calls you a friend."

 _Bakara..._

"Shepard, I want you to know.." Wrex then added. "You've been a champion to the krogan people, a friend of Clan Urdnot, and a sister to me. To every krogan born after this day, the name 'Shepard' will mean 'hero!'"

The pat on her shoulder was bone-crushing, yet heart-warming. Shepard knew she should smile at the honor, but her face was frozen.

The krogan chief continued, "Tell the turians I'll be deploying troops to Palaven immediately. And when you're ready to kick the Reapers off Earth, you let me know. The krogan are back in business."

Baraka's gaze remained on Shepard, studying her knowingly as Wrex spoke. More than once, Shepard had felt the female krogan could see right through her.

"Wrex," said Eve, "I'd like to speak with the commander."

"She's right here."

"Alone."

"Women..." the chief grumbled but walked away.

"I sense pain in you, Commander," stated Bakara once they were alone.

"Aerin," Shepard corrected her, but didn't deny her claim. "We're friends, Bakara."

Baraka nodded and stepped closer as she took something from the folds of her gown. "Has Wrex ever told you about our shaman initiation?"

Shepard shook her head.

"You're locked in a cave for seven days with just enough food to last. On the eighth, you'll starve. You either claw your way out through the rock with your bare hands, or you die."

"That's a brutal initiation."

"But an illuminating one. You learn to appreciate the light by living in the dark."

Perhaps it was her wisdom, perhaps it was her voice, somehow, Bakara's presence was strangely soothing. Curious, Shepard had to ask, "How did you make it out alive?"

"I started digging the wrong way," Bakara replied. "I was in complete darkness. Nothing other than my own heartbeat to sustain me. Then, I found this..." She showed Shepard the object in her hands.

It was a clear rock.

"A simple crystal. But it became my chisel." Bakara took Shepard's hand and pressed the stone onto her palm. "Take it as a reminder, Aerin." Her voice was deep and quiet, her touch warm and gentle. "In the darkest hour, there is always a way out."

* * *

A/N: IMO, if there's one thing ME3 plot did right, it's Tuchanka. No Mordin-parachuting-from-tower AU, no matter how tempted I was to write that.

To our singing crazy model scientist salarian.

Thanks for reading.

Contact info: gmail – pinoko19, tumblr – pinoko-k.


	16. Chapter 15: A Shot in the Arm

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chapter 15: A Shot in the Arm

Year: 2186CE

Location: Unknown

"Shepard, this way." Admiral Anderson rushed ahead, leading the way.

The hallway was dark. Shepard followed the silhouette of her mentor without question.

The admiral stopped and pointed at the elevator located at the far end. "Take that elevator up to the top of tower. Go!"

She would have followed orders without hesitation, but a sudden explosion that shook the ground. Shepard tumbled. As she regained her balance, she accidentally glanced up. The tip of the tower was covered by dense fog, with occasional sparks or bright orange flare peeked through the heavy gray curtain. Was it fog, or smoke and fire?

"Come on, Shepard," Anderson urged. "It had to be you!"

 _Had to be you._ It sounded vaguely familiar.

"What are you waiting for, Commander? Hurry! Save us from the Reapers!"

 _The Reapers._ With a renewed sense of determination, Shepard dashed into the elevator while everything else began to collapse around her. It was a one-way trip; she had to die alone. Again.

 _Again?_ Shepard hesitated.

 _Your death will bring peace,_ a voice told her. _Go._

When Shepard turned around to say goodbye to her mentor, he was gone. In his place stood a salarian.

"Had to be you," said Mordin, standing in the middle of the blazing flame.

The door closed. The elevator started to move, bringing her up, higher and higher... then suddenly it dropped, free-falling into the abyss.

Shepard gasped and woke up in a start. The room was dark. She couldn't see, nor could she move. None of her muscles responded to her command. Then, faintly, she saw something twinkled randomly among the darkness. Space... Shepard recognized. She was in space. All of a sudden, an unseen force vacuumed the air in her lungs. Her torso burned in searing pain. Shepard struggled to breath, but she couldn't.

Floating in the darkness, alone and terrified, Shepard heard a whisper, "...Had to be you. Someone else might have gotten it wrong..."

Gasping out loud, Shepard opened her eyes. This time, the ceiling of her cabin greeted her. Her senses returned as cool air filled her lungs. Her fingers flexed, her legs stretched; she was no longer immobilized.

Somehow, she had dozed off on the couch after a shower. A quick glance at the clock told her she had only slept for ten minutes. Ten long minutes that had left her more exhausted.

Holding back a tired sigh, Shepard reached for her shirt and finished getting dressed. Pain from her side as well as her sore muscles further grounded her to reality. She was very much beaten, injured, and drained. Still, there was a war on, and she had no choice but to fight.

 _Had to be you._ Those words from her dream echoed inside her head as she zipped up her boots.

"...Someone else might have gotten it wrong," Shepard heard herself mumbled under her breath.

A knock on the door provided a welcoming distraction. Outside her cabin stood her turian twin.

"Kaidan told me you're here," said Garrus as he followed her in. "I just talked to the primarch. The Turian Hierachy will send the full measure of our fleet to Earth when you're ready."

This was a moment she had been waiting – reinforcements for Earth, for Anderson. It was a victory, to be sure, yet something was missing.

 _Mordin._

Garrus continued, "We have several dry dock ships ready to help build the Crucible, I'll start managing turian support right away."

"The Crucible..." Something about it had been bothering her. "You think it'll work?"

"The biggest gun ever? Designed by the Protheans, built by current Council species?" Garrus shrugged. "If a weapon like that doesn't kill the Reapers, I don't know what else does."

"We're putting all our money on one single bet," said Shepard, sinking back down onto the couch. "If it doesn't work..."

"Then we'll fight those bastards the old-fashioned way," Garrus replied as he sat next to her. "Like we took down Sovereign."

"The causalities," Shepard breathed. "And that was just one Reaper."

"There's always sacrifice in war, Aerin. We both know that."

She did. And Shepard hated it.

"So how does it feel," her twin changed the subject wisely, "knowing krogan will be singing songs about you until the end of time?"

"I don't know about songs, but it's an honor."

"Can't say I've ever really witnessed history in the making like this. Well, except for Sovereign attacking the Citadel. And then there was the Collector Base. But... this one felt good."

 _But Mordin..._

"You look exhausted," said Garrus. "You should catch some shuteye."

"I tried. Whenever I close my eyes, I see Mordin."

"Mordin dying... it can't be easy."

"I couldn't stop him, Garrus."

"The cure wouldn't work if you did."

"I know, but..." Shepard paused with a heavy breath. "I hate losing people. Especially when it's one of ours."

"He was one of ours." Garrus nodded slowly. "Remember that song he used to sing? The one about salarian scientist?"

"Gilbert and Sullivan."

"I always thought Mordin was crazy. Useful, but crazy. Then he gives up his own life."

"He was so calm, Garrus. Knowing he was going to die up there in the tower. Alone."

"He died for a cause. Not all of us can have a chance to do that."

"To correct his mistake."

"Was the genophage really a mistake?" asked Garrus, shaking his head. "I don't know. Imagine the carnage if someone like Wreave took over."

"It's a chance we have to take."

"I admire your restraint, Aerin. I have to say, if wasn't my own world that needed the help, I might have taken the deal. Salarian support is one hell of a temptation."

"I could never look at Wrex in the eyes again if I sabotaged the cure."

"Let's hope Wrex keeps running the show on Tuchanka. Maybe we should hire a food-taster for him."

"Commander," Traynor called through the comm. "The major asked you to join the meeting in the comm room."

"On my way."

"Kaidan was on his way to debrief Hackett when I saw him," Garrus told her. "Maybe the Alliance is ready to pin another medal on you for curing the genophage."

"Doubt it." Snorting, Shepard stood from the comfortable couch and stretched. Her ribs hurt like hell.

"I'm starting to see some wear and tear," Garrus observed.

"I've been better."

Her twin draped his arm around her shoulders as they headed back to their respective duties. "There's a lot more war to go. Don't forget to come up for air."

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, Communications Room

"The admiral is waiting for you," said Kaidan when he met Shepard at the doorway.

"Hackett?"

"I'll be in the CIC." It was all he said before he headed back to the bridge.

Within the tiny room, a holographic image of a man stood on the platform, waiting. Shepard had to blink hard to make sure she wasn't hallucinating, for that man wasn't wearing dress uniform, but in standard combat fatigue and armored vest. It was the same man she had just seen in her dream.

"Anderson?"

"Shepard!" said Anderson. "Damned if you aren't a sight for sore eyes."

The relief to see her mentor still alive and kicking was overwhelming. Shepard would have broken ranks and hugged the man if he wasn't a hologram. "Good to see you too, sir!"

"'Sir?'" The admiral scowled but there was a chuckle in his voice. "I may have reinstated you, but that doesn't give you permission to go all formal on me."

A rare grin found its way to her face. "Then I'm glad you manage to keep your ass alive, Anderson."

The admiral nodded with a laugh. "That's more like it. Heard about the attack on Mars. I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm hard to kill."

"You might have been upgraded, but that doesn't make you invincible," her mentor chided. "Alenko just updated me. Hell of a thing you pulled off, Shepard. Curing the genophage?"

"Your orders, remember? Do whatever it takes."

"Yeah, but the genophage?" Anderson shook his head in disbelief. "Never thought I'd see the day..."

"It's one hell of a gamble. But as long as Wrex is in charge, we're not going to have another krogan rebellion anytime soon. Wrex is putting krogan boots on Palaven. In return, the Turian Hierarchy will send us their full support. And when the time comes, the krogan will also join our fight on Earth."

"The turians and the krogan... Last time they fought together it was against the rachni."

"The asari and the salarians are still not on board. But Tevos is sending support for the Crucible project."

"That's more than I expected from her."

"Hard to ignore us when we saved their lives."

"From Udina." Anderson scowled. "Can't believe I put that SOB in charge. I knew he was always power hungry, but a coup?"

"He was trying to take over the Council and send fleets to Earth."

"What? Doesn't make sense. He should have known it would never work."

It was then Shepard voiced her suspicion, "He could be indoctrinated."

"Indoctrinated?" Instead of dismissing it as a crazy theory, the admiral took a brief moment to consider.

Shepard continued, "From what Benezia had told us about the indoctrination, Udina never stood a chance if the Reapers wanted to brainwash him."

"First Saren, then Benezia, now Udina. Damn those Reapers. And Cerberus? How did they get involved?"

"Cerberus used Udina to take control of the Citadel."

"The Illusive Man... what the hell is he up to?"

"He told me he wanted to control the Reapers. And I don't think he's lying."

"Control the Reapers? Is he crazy?" the admiral muttered in disbelief. "That asshole has never fought a Reaper in his life. You can't control those things. The only way to win this war is to get rid of every single one of them."

If there was anyone who knew anything about fighting Reapers, it was Anderson. "How are things on Earth? You okay?"

"Been putting my old academy training to use, organizing the resistance. A lot of these people have never held a gun in their life."

"How bad is it?" asked Shepard, holding back a wince.

"I've lost count of our casualties."

"Can you still coordinate any kind of counterattack?"

"We're hitting the Reapers every chance we get. Mostly guerilla-style hit-and-runs. But it's not enough."

Anger, she could manage; fear, she could handle. But helplessness? Shepard hated that more than anything. "Wish I could be there to help..."

"Your fight is out there, Shepard. Mine is here. We'll keep fighting – make sure there's an Earth left for you to come back to."

"...Thank you, sir."

"'Sir?'" Anderson chided with a fake scowl. "What did I tell you?"

"Hold the damn fort, Anderson," Shepard corrected herself. "I'll come back and get you."

Her mentor looked at her with more than a hint of a smirk. "You know, you've got quite a fan club back here. Any news we hear about the Normandy is a shot in the arm, gives hope to the guys in the trenches."

A shot in the arm. Talking to the man who had shaped her was definitely a shot in Shepard's arm.

"Faith," Anderson continued, "it's what you've given them. It's the one thing we're in short supply around here. Faith that any of us will live to see another day."

His candor hit Shepard like a ton of bricks.

"When this is over," said Shepard, "I'll buy you a drink. So, stay alive."

"A drink? You owe me at least a dinner, kid."

"I'll buy you dinner for a whole month, how about that?" _Just don't die on me. Not you._

The admiral laughed. "Deal. Keep up the good work, Aerin. Your father would be proud of you. I know I am."

The floodgates she had maintained all too well started to crack. And all it took was a pat on the back by the man she respected the most.

"Watch your back, Anderson."

"You too," said her mentor, giving her a nod. "Good luck, Shepard. Anderson out."

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, CIC

"Status reports from engineering and armory, Major," said Traynor, handing a datapad to Kaidan. "Also, a new message from the Fifth Fleet."

"Thanks."

Leaning against the wall by the doorway, Shepard watched silently for a moment as her XO took over the CIC. With all the uncertainties in the galaxy, one thing Shepard knew for certain: The Normandy would be in good hands even without her.

"Commander." It was Traynor who noticed her.

Shepard nodded at the specialist, then called out, "Major, a word."

Without another word, Shepard headed into the elevator. As expected, Kaidan followed, no questions asked. The door closed, isolating them from the rest of the ship.

Kaidan looked at her questioningly. Her reply was a sudden hug.

"Thank you," Shepard mumbled.

"For?" Kaidan asked, although the slight hint of smile in his tone suggested he knew the answer.

 _Everything._ "Anderson. You arranged that, didn't you?"

"Thought you might want to talk to him."

Although the light was dim, Shepard leaned back and stared at him. The body next to hers was warm, though his support was warmer.

Kaidan continued quietly, "What happened back at the Shroud... I know it's hard on you."

"Even after all these years, I could never get used to losing someone."

"You shouldn't. You're human, Aerin, not a machine."

That seemingly obvious remark blindsided her, hitting her much harder than it should. There were times Shepard questioned her humanity, but she ignored those questions, burying them deep within. Still, once in a while, doubts resurfaced when her guard was down, especially in the middle of the night when all was quiet.

The subject of Project Lazarus, the war machine rebuilt by Cerberus to combat the Collectors, a body that contained more synthetic parts than organics. Shepard was all that. But most of all, she was a human.

"It hurts, Kaidan," Shepard admitted in a whisper.

"I know." He gently pressed her head onto his shoulder, then tightened his arms around her. "We'll get through this."

Ten seconds. Shepard gave herself ten seconds as she leaned onto Kaidan for much needed support. Ten seconds without the commander mask. Ten seconds to grieve. Ten seconds to come up for air, as Garrus had wisely prescribed. Ten stolen seconds with nothing else in the world but the warmth of her other half and his steady heartbeat.

Then suddenly, lights from the CIC flooded into their private sanctuary, as the door to the elevator opened by itself.

Standing outside, Samantha Traynor stared at them, horrified. "-I-I didn't mean to- Sorry!"

Kaidan stepped back, taking his warmth away from her. Swallowing a sigh and a curse, Shepard forcefully shoved every bit of pain and grief back into the hole they came from.

"Thank you, Major," said Shepard, snapping her commander mask right back on.

"Whatever you need, Commander," the major replied in his usual professional tone, although Shepard could feel a warm hand remained on the small of her back, subtly supporting her.

"Carry on, Specialist," said Shepard as she stepped out of the elevator.

Five seconds – a fleeting moment to bare it all, to face the pain of losing a friend, to seek comfort. Five seconds was all she had. Five seconds was better than none.

The CIC remained the same, yet it seemed a little bit brighter.

"Any news?" Shepard asked Kaidan as if nothing had ever happened.

"I talked to Hackett," he told her. "They've been getting back-channel commitments from the strike teams within STG."

Shepard had to arch an eyebrow at that news. "STG?"

Kaidan nodded to confirm. "They promised to back us."

"And go against their Queen Bee?"

"Our intel suggests there are cracks developing between the military and the politicians. These STG guys know the score. They're not going to jeopardize the entire Salarian Union just because some dalatress didn't get her way."

"First the genophage is cured, then some STG gone rogue. Linron must be throwing a tantrum by now."

"Also, Hackett said the Crucible is about half way done."

"That was fast."

"I don't quite understand, either." Kaidan retrieved a file on the console and showed Shepard a blueprint of the Crucible. "But the admiral said the schematics are not Prothean specific. And that the scientists are convinced it can generate enough energy to destroy the Reapers."

Shepard frowned at the odd-looking device. It reminded her of a lollipop rather than a secret weapon. "So we have a giant gun. But do they know how to use it without wiping us all out?"

To that, Kaidan only shrugged. "They'd better figure that part out."

"Commander," Liara called as she approached.

Judging by the look on her face, what Doctor T'Soni carried wasn't good news.

Kaidan seemed to have come to the same conclusion. "Bad news?" he asked.

Liara didn't reply until she was close enough to tell them both in a low voice, "Horizon has gone dark."

 _Miranda._ Shepard shared a look with Kaidan then asked, "The Reapers?"

Liara shook her head. "All signals from the Iera system are actively blocked. Something is interfering with all the signal activity in that region."

"The Iera systems is home to Horizon and little else," Kaidan pointed out. "Why would anyone block the signals?"

"Don't know," said Liara. "But I know Miranda is still there. Her last known location was the Sanctuary."

Shepard didn't even bother to ask how Liara had found out. "She could be in trouble. Let's go get her."

"Wait a minute," said Kaidan. "We don't know what's waiting for us on the other side. We need a plan."

"We won't know what's on the other side until we get there," Shepard countered.

Still, the major hesitated, and for a good reason. "If it's the Reapers, we could be walking right into a trap. We don't have the firepower to take them out by ourselves."

He was right, Shepard knew. It was rash, perhaps even irresponsible to launch a personal rescue mission in the middle of a war, but...

"I'm sick of seeing people die," said Shepard under her breath.

For a brief moment, Kaidan looked at her with a strange mix of exasperation and understanding. In the end, he nodded and said, "Time to test our stealth systems."

 _Thank you._

"Joker," Shepard told the pilot through the comm. "Change course to Horizon. Stealth systems engaged."

* * *

A/N: Couldn't get this one out on N7 day. Missed it by a few days. The message from Bioware was bittersweet. And that last line, "This is Commander Shepard, signing off" broke my heart. No, Shepard! Don't go! Your story here isn't over yet!

Aerin Shepard is a human, and she is far from perfect. Her story here continues. Thank you for joining her journey; thank you for reading her story.

Contact info: gmail – pinoko19, tumblr – pinoko-k.


	17. Chapter 16: Sins of the Father

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chapter 16: Sins of the Father

Year: 2186CE

Location: SSV-Normandy SR2, Bridge

"ETA twenty minutes, Commander," Joker announced.

"Got it," Shepard replied through the comm.

"Horizon, huh?" the pilot mumbled as he switched back to private line and continued, "Is it just me, or does that colony have a tendency of going dark? Deja vu, anyone?"

Sure, Joker was alone at the cockpit, but he wasn't talking to himself. He wasn't that crazy, not yet anyway.

Garrus' voice came through, "It's not the Collectors this time, that's for sure."

Through the all-seeing-eye of the security cameras, Joker saw their resident vigilante doing some last minute calibration at the cozy main battery.

"Could be worse. Like the Reapers?" said Joker, shaking his head. "Guess we're pretty bored. I mean, it's not like we have a war to fight or something."

"It's Lawson," said Kaidan. The major was spotted stepping out of engineering, presumably on his way to suit up. "Aerin wouldn't be here without her."

Joker snorted. "Pfft. Yeah. Well, that and about four billion credits."

"Come on, Joker," said Garrus. "Our commander needs some distractions after Tuchanka. Mordin's death has hit her pretty hard."

With that, Joker agreed. "...Yeah. Mordin. He was always running those tests. One time he tagged me in the middle of the night to ask how many lives humans had. And this bump on my elbow? He said it was just mild bone deformation, but I'm pretty sure he stuck a probe in there."

"You sure it's only your elbow?" said Garrus.

"Maybe there's more," Kaidan added without missing a beat. "You'd never know."

"Ha. Funny. I hate you guys."

* * *

Location: Sanctuary, Main Facility

Miranda ran.

With a gun in one hand, and her sister's hand in the other, Miranda had managed to evade most of the intruders. The Reaper forces and Cerberus troops were at each other's throats; both sides were too busy to notice the Lawson sisters as they made their way to the main tower.

The so-called safe haven was now a war zone. She should have used the chaos as the perfect opportunity to escape this hellhole with her sister. She should have ignored this mess her father had created. After all, if those idiots fell for the lie her father was selling, it's their fault. But, somehow, a voice inside her head demanded her to do the right thing, to put others before herself...

Damned this conscience.

"Those things are behind us!" Oriana screamed.

Whipping around, Miranda pushed her sister behind her, then tossed a ball of biotic energy at the incoming husks. Whether her attack had killed the enemies, Miranda had no time to check.

"Let's go!"

* * *

Location: Sanctuary, Landing Zone

"Pretty big mess," said Garrus. "Lots of combat."

Shepard frowned at the scene. Destruction and dead bodies were two things she had seen too much lately. "Yeah, but who was fighting?"

A loud boom was heard above. Falling from the sky was a Cerberus shuttle, aflame, spinning out of control. The shuttle slammed onto the building and exploded into pieces. Then came an unnatural screech.

"What was that?" James mumbled.

Through the smoke and flame, Shepard saw it.

"You see that?" asked Garrus.

"Harvester." Shepard nodded, scowling. "What the hell is going on?"

"Looks like they were evacuating," said Kaidan.

"And..." Garrus continued, "looks like the Reapers were chasing them out."

"About time they started killing each other." Shepard nodded at the building ahead. "Let's head inside while they're preoccupied."

* * *

Location: Sanctuary, Main Facility, Maintenance Room

"Lock the door," Miranda told her sister while she hurried to a console nearby.

It might be a futile gesture, but she needed to get the words out; she needed to warn those people. And there was no better way than to broadcast through the self-help consoles scattered across the facility.

With a few strokes of the keys, Miranda overrode the system and started to record a message, "This is Miranda Lawson. If you managed to get this far, you must be desperate or stupid."

"Hurry, 'Randa!" Oriana urged.

"Listen to me," said Miranda, looking directly at the camera. "This is not a refugee camp. This is a Cerberus facility run by my father, Henry Lawson. Turn back now. There is no help to be found here – all communication is being blocked from the central tower. Sanctuary is a lie. Stay away."

* * *

Location: Sanctuary, Reception Area

"New arrivals are encouraged to aid those having trouble registrations," a pleasant, feminine voice echoed throughout the empty hall. The announcement repeated after a few seconds, obviously continued even when there was no one left in the reception hall.

The refugee camp was surreal, almost like a mini Presidium at the Citadel. Gardens were set in between two buildings, natural light filtered through the open roof. If Shepard overlooked the destruction, she could see why this place was called the Sanctuary.

"It's a mess," said James, "but man, this is a nice setup."

"It's easy to understand why the refugees came in by the thousands," said Liara. "It's beautiful."

"Must have been a relief to the refugees," said Kaidan.

"And then it all went bad," said Garrus.

Kaidan nodded. "Yeah, not even this place could stay out of the war forever."

The place was dead. No survivors. The only sounds were their footsteps and the announcements played in loop.

"Got some bodies, Shepard," said Garrus.

"Rachni and Cerberus troops," said Kaidan. "Casualties. Both sides."

Shepard frowned. "What the hell is Cerberus doing here?"

Just then, ahead from one of the consoles came a very familiar voice, "-Sanctuary is a lie. Stay away."

"Miranda?"

The screen was already broken, but the image of Miranda's face could still be seen through statics. "This is Miranda Lawson. If you managed to get this far, you must be desperate or stupid."

"Or here to get your ass out," mumbled Shepard.

"Listen to me," her former XO continued. "This is not a refugee camp. This is a Cerberus facility run by my father, Henry Lawson. Turn back now. There is no help to be found here – all communication is being blocked from the central tower. Sanctuary is a lie. Stay away."

* * *

Location: Sanctuary, Main Facility, Security Office

"Shutting down the power to the processing plant..." said Oriana as she typed away. "There. That should lock them down and keep them out of the entrance."

"Good," mumbled Miranda as she concentrated on the screen that showed a list of files. "...Found it."

"What is it?"

Miranda downloaded the files then explained, "That's proof of Father's involvement with the Illusive Man."

For a second, the girl looked troubled. "Those things... What are they?"

"Husks." Sometimes, Miranda forgot what considered to be common knowledge for her, was in fact unheard of for most people.

"And they used to be people. The refugees..." Oriana shook her head in disgust. "That's sick. Why would Father do that?"

 _Why, indeed..._

A beep from the console informed her the download was completed.

Hacking into the system once more, Miranda started recording, "If you are listening to this, spread the words. I have data indicates that my father is trying to figure out how Reaper indoctrination works. So far, some refugees are turned into husks. Some are indoctrinated and shipped to the Illusive Man. The rest are used in experiment-"

All of a sudden, a noise was heard from a distance. They were not alone.

"What was that?" Oriana gasped.

 _Reapers..._ The noise became louder. They had to run. Now.

Miranda quickly set the recording to play in loop then pulled out her gun. "Let's go!"

She had to head to the tower to disable the communication scrambler. She had to get the words out...

Damned this bloody conscience.

* * *

Location: Sanctuary, Courtyard

"Well, look at that," said Garrus. "A secret hideout."

Shepard frowned at the riverbed in the courtyard. With water drained, the hidden lower level was now in plain sight.

"Why go through the trouble of concealing it?" said Kaidan.

Shepard continued his line of thought, "Unless they have something to hide. Let's check it out."

Gone was the serene, peaceful safe haven. Consoles, machines, pipes of all sizes lined the walls of the previously-concealed part of the facility.

"Looks more like a factory than a refugee camp," James commented as they continued inside.

"That looks like Reaper technology," said Liara upon examining one of the machines. "I'm sure of it. I don't know how, but Cerberus has found a way to use it."

"This is going to get ugly, Shepard," said Garrus. "Nothing good ever came out of Reaper tech."

"What is Cerberus using it for?" asked James.

"Whatever it is," said Kaidan, "it doesn't look good."

"And Miranda's caught in the middle," said Shepard. "Let's pick up the pace."

* * *

Location: Sanctuary, Tower Base

For once in her life, Miranda was afraid. No, she wasn't afraid for her own life, but the life of her sister. One stray bullet, one hit from the husk, it's all it'd take to take Oriana away from her forever.

With the door sealed behind them, the girl doubled over, fighting to catch her breath.

"You okay?" asked Miranda.

"...Yeah. Just... want to get out of here."

 _I'm sorry, Ori._ "Give me one second." Miranda hurried to a console nearby and uploaded the files she'd retrieved earlier. "Heavy resistance outside the tower!" she said into the camera. "If you're receiving this, I've got evidence you cannot ignore. Confirmation that my father is working for the Illusive Man."

"Those things are at the door!" said Oriana.

 _Damn it!_ Miranda quickly set the recording to play in loop. "Go!"

* * *

Location: Sanctuary, Control Room

The room ahead was dark. Dimly, Shepard could see consoles and panels lined the room. In the middle was a long desk with multiple screens hanging above.

The darkness was gone once Shepard found a power switch. The screens above the desk lit up one by one. Curious, Shepard stepped closer.

"What is this?" Garrus breathed.

The vid showed a man trapped inside a pod, twisting around in pain, struggling.

 _What the hell?_

"What... what am I seeing here?" asked James.

"My god, those are the refugees," said Kaidan.

The vid continued. A man in lab coat outside the pod pressed a button. All of a sudden, the struggle stopped.

"Goddess!" said Liara. "They're just killing them."

The body inside the pod started to mutate.

"Worse," mumbled Shepard. "They're being turned into husks."

Countless refugees seeking a safe haven during war. Unlimited supplies of unsuspecting victims. An army of husks.

Shepard stepped away, feeling sick to her stomach.

"Commander," said James from a nearby console. "Another vid."

"If you are listening to this," said Miranda from the vid, "spread the words. I have data indicates that my father is trying to figure out how Reaper indoctrination works. So far, some refugees are turned into husks. Some are indoctrinated and shipped to the Illusive Man. The rest are used in experiment."

Off the camera, Shepard could hear a girl's voice, "What was that?"

Then, the vid ended.

"They're in trouble," said Shepard, heading for the exit. "Let's move!"

* * *

Location: Sanctuary, Tower

They were safe, for now. The door they had sealed would buy them some much-needed time to escape. So far, they had yet to see their father. Perhaps he'd been killed by the husks, by his own sick creation. Miranda could only hope.

"Are we going to get out of here?" asked Oriana, panting, as they headed down the long hallway.

"You are," said Miranda. "I'll make sure of that."

"Me? What about you?"

Miranda could hear footsteps. The door had been breached. "Listen to me, Ori. You have to do as I say. If I tell you to run. You run, don't look back."

"'Randa-"

"Don't argue." Miranda reloaded her gun. "Down the hall, turn right. There's an elevator. Go there. Wait for me. If you don't see me in thirty seconds, take the elevator up the tower and disable the scrambler. There should be shuttles on the landing pad. If you see Cerberus troops, tell them you're Henry Lawson's daughter. Use them to protect you, then run away from them once you're safe."

"What are you-" The girl's eyes widened. "Oh god, they're here!"

"Now. Run!"

Miranda stood in the middle of the hallway and fired two consecutive biotic attacks. The first horde of the husks exploded. But more incoming.

 _You are not going to get my sister._

Gun raised, Miranda fired.

* * *

Location: Sanctuary, Tower Base

"Looks like we missed one hell of a party," said Garrus.

The bodies of Reaper forces and Cerberus troops littered the entrance of the tower. Inside, one of the consoles had a message played in loop.

"Heavy resistance outside the tower!" said Miranda from the vid. "If you're receiving this, I've got evidence you cannot ignore. Confirmation that my father is working for the Illusive Man."

A vid played, showing an older man in the middle of a conference call. Then the Illusive Man's voice was heard, "I have your report on the process, Mr. Lawson. Cut to the chase. Can you do it?"

"Theoretically, control is possible, yes," Henry Lawson replied. "The Reaper subjects we converted are responding, but it's difficult to maintain."

"I thought that might be the case. Not to worry, Henry. With Sanctuary's help, we'll get it sorted."

Static interrupted the vid and the screen cut off.

"Did I hear that right?" asked James. "This guy knows how to control Reaper troops?"

The second part of the vid continued.

"We've done it," said Henry Lawson. "We've found a way to co-opt their control signal. As long as the Reaper troops remain in close proximity to our signal, we can maintain control indefinitely."

"Excellent news," said the Illusive Man. "And how could we extrapolate this technique to apply to the Reapers themselves?"

"That's a much bigger challenge."

The log ended.

"So that's why the Illusive Man said he wanted to control the Reapers," Shepard muttered.

"That's loco," said James, shaking his head in both disgust and disbelief.

"And dangerous," added Shepard. "We need to shut down this facility and find Miranda. Come on!"

* * *

Location: Sanctuary, Tower, Top Level

This was a family reunion like no other.

The father was shot by his younger daughter, who had never held a gun in her life. She missed, naturally. Her older sibling picked up the dropped weapon and aimed. Unlike the inexperienced girl, the woman would not miss.

And the father knew.

He also knew her weakness. Without second thought, he grabbed the girl and used her as his human shield.

The woman flinched, yet refused to drop her weapon. Like father like daughter, the old man and the woman pointed their guns at each other.

This was the Lawson's family reunion – fitting for a bloody screwed up family of hers.

"'Randa!" Oriana screamed.

"Don't struggle, child," said Henry, tightened his arm around her neck.

The battle with an army of husks had taken a toll on Miranda. Although injured and exhausted, her aim remained true. One single bullet would end the misery for her and her sister – if she could pull the trigger before her father killed her. However, if she died, no one would ever protect Oriana from their father.

It was a gamble with Oriana's future at stake, both Henry and Miranda knew.

And so the standoff continued.

"Let her go, you bastard!" sneered Miranda, her voice cold as ice.

"Watch your tone, Miranda," her father chided. "You've given me enough trouble. I had everything set up for you. You were supposed to be the heir of my dynasty-"

"To hell with your dynasty! I want a life – a normal life!"

"A normal life?" Henry scoffed. "You see all those people outside our facility? That's what normal life is. You had everything and you threw it all away. And you even robbed your sister a chance to excel, to reach her full potential."

"She has a family," Miranda argued. "People who love her. That's more than what I had when I was her age."

Her father studied her with those piercing icy-blue eyes. "This isn't about your sister, is it? It's about you."

Was it? For a second, Miranda hesitated.

"We're not your puppets," said Oriana, struggling from her father's grip. "Leave us alone!"

"You're too young to know what's good for you, child," said Henry. "And you, Miranda, I gave up on you years ago. Go. Do whatever you want with your life, but stop poisoning your sister."

"I'm not leaving without her!"

To hell with this crazy, selfish egomaniac who called himself her father. For Oriana, or perhaps for herself, Miranda squeezed the trigger.

The door suddenly opened. All eyes were set upon the intruders. Stepping through the threshold was a woman in black armor and her team.

"Aerin?" What the hell was Shepard doing here?

"You must be Commander Shepard," said Henry, unfazed.

Without even asking for any explanation, the commander drew her gun and aimed at the older man. Shepard was on her side, Miranda knew, no matter what. The relief of seeing her friend was crushingly overwhelming. Miranda allowed herself to lower her own weapon.

"Miranda, you okay?" the commander asked, her eyes never left her target.

"I'll live," said Miranda. "Aerin, don't let him take her."

"Put the gun down," Shepard told the older man.

"No," said Henry. "Oriana tried to shoot me. Miranda's poisonous influence, no doubt."

"I'm sorry she missed," hissed Shepard, taking another step. "This ends here."

"On the contrary," said Henry Lawson. "Now that the Reapers are taken care of, we have a way out."

From the corner of her eye, Miranda spotted a subtle glow coming from Kaidan's direction. She had seen this before, not too long ago...

The commander snorted. "What exactly do you think you've created here?"

"Hope," Henry replied. "Few people have the stomach to do what it takes to survive. What we learned here will save countless lives. I will be seen as the savior of the human race."

"Tell that to those you've killed," said Shepard, taking one more step to get Henry's full attention. "Let the girl go."

"This doesn't concern you, Commander."

"It does. She's Miranda's sister. You try to leave with her, you die."

"And you will kill her father right in front of her?" Henry snorted. "Now, put down the gun, and step aside. Oriana has already been through enough."

"Let her go and walk away. I won't say it again."

"She's all I've got left-"

Then, Henry Lawson suddenly doubled over in pain. Shepard darted forth to pull the girl away from her father. Kaidan's biotic, Miranda knew. But she also knew the major would refrain from killing the older man.

With Oriana out of the way, Miranda had the perfect chance to end her problem once and for all. Years of hatred transformed into a blindingly bright glow, Miranda extended her hand and released the built up energy right at her father, knocking him out of the window and off the tower.

She could hear gasps, but Miranda didn't care. She stepped up to the broken window and stared at the body far below. And, just like that, her nightmare was over.

"Stay out of our lives," she told her father one last time.

"...'Randa?" a tiny voice called for her attention.

Miranda quickly rushed to her sister. "Are you all right?"

"I think so," the girl breathed. "Is he..."

She pulled her sister into her arms. "You're safe now. He won't come after you anymore. We are... free, Ori. Finally free."

* * *

A/N: Sorry about the delay. I've been in the Commonwealth. And while I was playing Fallout 4, a thought came to my mind that, hey, Shepard could totally be a synth. A Gen 3 synth with original Shepard's memory and personality downloaded. Shep doesn't know, no one knows, except for Miranda and TIM. Miranda will bring the secret to her grave – at first for the sake of the mission, then for the sake of Shepard's sanity. Can you image the things Shep would go through if he/she found out he/she is a synth? The angst...

You know, I'm thinking about writing another Christmas short story, a sequel to last year's "White Christmas". It's time to check in with the gang, a year later, with an additional member to the team... Or maybe not, because it'd be a boring Christmas party.

Anyway, thanks for reading!

Contact info: gmail – pinoko19, tumblr – pinoko-k.


	18. Chapter 17: A Moment of Peace

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chapter 17: A Moment of Peace

Year: 2186CE

Location: SSV-Normandy SR2, Port Observation

"Welcome back," said Shepard with a hint of a smile.

Miranda stood at the doorway for a moment, taking in the view outside the window. Stars twinkled against the velvet backdrop, shifting ever so slowly, as the Normandy cruised across the never-ending darkness that was space. She would never get tired of the view. However much she hated the Illusive Man, her former boss was a genius. Putting windows on the Normandy had to be one of his better ideas.

Well, that and rebuilding Commander Shepard.

"I really hate being the damsel-in-distress," said Miranda as she joined Shepard at the bar, "But... thank you, Aerin. I owe you one."

The commander waved a dismissive hand. "No, you don't. You saved my life twice. I'm still one short."

Miranda chuckled faintly under her breath. "Maybe. But who's counting?"

"You okay?"

Finally able to relax, Miranda didn't realize how much every muscle in her body hurt until now. _Bloody hell._ "I'll live," she told the commander while hiding a grunt.

Shepard arched an eyebrow at her and pointed at one of the barstools. A silent order was given: Sit and relax.

"Don't mind if I do." Miranda sank down with a tired sigh. "Can't believe my father is finally dead. This calls for a celebration. We should pop open a bottle of champagne."

"Sorry, no champagne. You want ryncol instead? Wrex gave me a few bottles."

"I'll skip. I don't want holes in my stomach."

Ducking behind the bar counter for a moment, Shepard emerged with a bottle of red wine. "How's your sister?"

"Chakwas is giving her a full exam. It's not the cuts and bruises that I'm worried about, Aerin. What she's been through was traumatizing."

"Kidnapped by your own father, that's gotta be tough." Shepard handed her a glass of wine.

"Good thing the bastard is dead," said Miranda, taking a long drink. "Tell you the truth, I didn't expect to live through the day."

"What the hell happened down there?"

"You saw my father's experiments..."

Shepard nodded. "I saw enough. Turning refugees into husks, then handing them over to the Illusive Man."

"Humans, asari, turians. I thought what we saw at the Collector base was bad." Miranda cast a slightly embarrass glance at the commander. "I still had nightmares about that... thing at the Collector base."

"You're not the only one," said the commander, grimacing. "How did you find Oriana?"

"It wasn't hard to sneak into the camp. They had more refugees than they could properly process. Once I got in, the guards were hardly a challenge. One of them told me where Oriana was before I could break his second finger."

"Ouch."

"I should have escaped with my sister right away," Miranda continued. "But, by then, I saw what this place really was, I couldn't just walk away."

Shepard gave her an understanding nod. "You did the right thing."

"By putting Oriana at risk. What kind of big sister am I?"

"The kind of big sis she'd be proud of."

Miranda attempted to cover a smile with a snort. "Two years ago I would have left with Oriana without a second thought. The refugees were victims, yes, but they should have known a paradise safe haven was too good to be true."

"What changed?"

"You, my friend," said Miranda, smiling. "It's all your fault, Shepard."

To that, Shepard laughed lightly. "So are you gonna join the Alliance next?"

"There are some lines I refuse to cross, even for you." Miranda tipped her now-empty glass towards the commander, who filled it right up.

"How'd Cerberus get involved with the mess?"

"My father called for backup when the Reapers showed up. Cerberus troops came in within an hour. It was an absolute chaos. When they were busy killing each other, Oriana and I went to the central tower to disable the communication scrambler."

"That's when you met your father."

Nodding, Miranda took a long drink. "Haven't seen that bastard for almost two decades. He's older than I remember. ...Older and weaker."

"Not your standard family reunion, I suppose."

"Hardly." Miranda snorted. "Unless the current standard reunion protocol calls for a standoff involving guns."

Shepard patiently listened as she always did.

"My father wasn't surprised when we were at the tower. He saw us coming through the security cameras. Now that I think about it, he was probably expecting us. We walked right into his trap, as always...

"Oriana took my gun before any of us knew what's going on. The girl had never fired one single shot before. She missed, of course, caught surprised by the recoil. But her bullet managed to hit my father's arm. Not bad for a first-timer. My father then grabbed her, used her as a shield... What kind of monster does that to their own child?"

When Shepard broke her silence, her voice was quiet and soothing. "It's over, Miranda."

"It is." Miranda let out a heavy sigh. "I'm glad he's gone, Aerin. I'm sorry if that sounds cold."

"No, I understand."

"It's finally over," Miranda repeated, chewing on the words. "We can stop running. I just wish my sister didn't have to see all this."

"She's no longer the baby you rescued, Miranda. She's strong, like you."

"...You're right."

"So what next?"

"I have to take Oriana back to her family. Her parents – the couple who adopted her – contacted me when she went missing. They're worried sick."

"We can drop her home."

"No." The old Miranda would have stopped at that. But now... now she felt she owed her friend an explanation. "Don't get me wrong, Aerin, it's not that I don't trust you. But I can't risk telling the entire crew where her family is. Believe me when I say Cerberus has deeper reach than you'd think. There's still a bounty on my head, and the Illusive Man won't hesitate to use my sister to get to me."

Shepard nodded. "I understand."

"Just drop us off at the Citadel. I'll take her home. You have more pressing matters to deal with."

"The Reapers."

"That's your job, Commander." She flashed a teasing smirk. "Good job on curing the genophage, by the way. You don't do anything small, do you?"

Shepard went silent. "Not without a price."

"Yes. Mordin." Miranda shook her head. "I'm sorry about that. I still remember the trouble we had to go through to get him onboard."

"He's one crazy son of a gun."

"How are you holding up?"

"Barely."

Shepard's blunt admission was a surprise, but Miranda was glad the commander was comfortable enough to be honest with her.

"But I'm gonna fight til my very last breath," vowed the commander. "If the Reapers want to take our galaxy, they'd have to do it over my dead body."

"That's the Shepard I know. If you need me, I'm just a call away-"

The door behind her opened with a quiet hiss. The commander's bright blue eyes lit right up. One glance at Shepard's face was enough to tell Miranda who had just walked through the door.

"Care to join us, Major?" asked Miranda without turning.

"I'd love to, Miss Lawson," said Alenko, approaching the pair, "but I've to get back to the CIC."

Wordlessly, Shepard pushed her own glass in front of the major.

Alenko stared at it for a second, smiling. "Are you encouraging me to break some protocols, Commander?"

Snorting softly, Miranda had to interject, "You two broke the cardinal sin of protocols years ago."

The commander saved the day by changing the subject and asked the major, "So what's up?"

"Just had a debriefing with Hackett," said Kaidan. "The Crucible project hits a roadblock. Turns out, the blueprint's not completed. They're searching for the missing schematics."

Shepard frowned. "Please don't tell me he wants us to dig through some ruin for the missing pieces."

"No," said the major, "but he wants us to get more support ships. The turian fleet is stretched thin, and the quarians are willing to talk."

"Finally."

"The quarians must be desperate," said Miranda. "Or they have something they want from you, Aerin."

"What else is new?" The commander let out a tired breath. "Let's see what the quarians want."

"I'll arrange for a meeting," said Kaidan. His tone then took a softer turn as his attention focused solely on Shepard. "Have you checked in with Chakwas?"

"I will. In a moment."

"Aerin..."

"Hey, I will," Shepard promised in a rare gentle tone.

"Don't worry, Alenko," said Miranda to the major. "I'll make sure our commander gets there."

"Please." The man nodded his thanks then turned to leave.

"One hell of a XO," said Miranda.

"Your worthy replacement?"

The former XO of the SR-2 laughed. "Let's just say I know you're in good hands."

The two women shared a smile and a toast. Both savored a rare moment of peace among the seemingly endless chaos.

As long as Aerin Shepard was at the helm, things would be fine, Miranda believed. After all, Shepard was not just her own handiwork, but her best friend. A sister she had never had.

Things would be fine.

* * *

A/N: It's been a long time.

First off, let me apologize for the hiatus. Fallout happened. Deacon happened. I took a detour to write two Fallout 4 Deacon fics. A shorter one is completed, a longer one is still ongoing. But that's not all, I also wrote a holiday special for Aerin Shepard and her team. A sequel to last year's "White Christmas" called "Silver Bells". So if you want to check them out, they're all posted on (Pinoko K) and Achieve of Our Own (Pinoko_K).

There are some of you who have joined us during the hiatus, welcome aboard! And to those who have stuck with me all along, welcome back! It was nice talking to each and everyone of you who are not shy to approach me. Really, I don't bite, I'm just a very boring person. Fandom brings us together. So, it's nice to meet you!

As always, thanks for reading. And thank you for your patience!

Contact info: gmail – pinoko19, tumblr – pinoko-k.


	19. Chapter 18: The Weight of the World

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

Chapter 18: The Weight of the World

Year: 2186CE

Location: SSV-Normandy SR2, War Room

The quarian Admiralty Board. That elite group of leaders was nowhere high on the list of people Shepard wanted to see right now. But she needed their fleet, and, like everything else, their help in the galactic war wouldn't come free.

With the Reapers breathing down her neck, Shepard's patience was almost nonexistence. If the Admiralty Board expected her to deal with their internal conflict one more time, Shepard swore she'd invoke her Spectre status and tell them all to shove it.

"Commander," said Kaidan, leading a group of quarian guests into the war room. "The quarian Admiralty Board is here."

 _Do it for Anderson, Shepard._ Straightening her uniform, Shepard folded her hands behind her back and awaited for impending drama.

Familiar faces – or rather, masks – filled in the room. Admiral Raan, the rational voice. Admiral Xen, the crazy scientist. Admiral Gerrel, the fighter. Admiral Koris, the geth sympathizer. And...

"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, reporting for duty."

"Admiral?" said Shepard with an eyebrow raised.

"It's mostly a formality," said Tali. "I'm an expert on the geth."

Shepard nodded with a rare smile. "That you are."

"Commander Shepard," said Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay after everyone gathered around the round table. "A pleasure to see you again, though I wish it were under better circumstances."

"I'd hoped for your support in the fight against the Reapers," said Shepard pointedly. "What's going on?"

"Seventeen days ago," sad Admiral Gerrel, "with precision strikes on four geth systems, the quarians initiated the war to retake our homeworld."

 _You're fucking kidding me. Of all the time you could initiate a war, you chose now?_ It took all Shepard's restraint to keep her mouth shut.

Admiral Koris quickly added, "Which was a clear violation of our agreement with the Council to avoid provoking the geth!"

Admiral Xen was equally quick to argue, "A treaty violation is nothing compared to recovering our homeworld and advanced AI technology."

Rannoch.

"Three hundred years ago," said Raan, "we lost our world to our own AI creations, the geth."

"After we attempted to kill them," said Koris.

"We didn't try to kill them, Koris," Xen argued. "We tried to deactivate them. It wasn't murder."

"No, it was murder," said Shepard. Feeling a headache rapidly building up, she was very much tempted to toss all four of them out of the airlock.

"Commander," said Raan, "the quarians never intended to create a true AI. It was an accident."

"Which you chose to correct by trying to kill them," Shepard pointed out without missing a beat.

The admirals could only share a look with each other.

"Don't bother," said Koris, waving a hand. "Admitting we were wrong would undercut the justification for this suicidal invasion plan."

"Invasion was a mistake!" Shepard snapped. "Do you have any idea what's going on in the galaxy out there? You're throwing yourselves at the geth? Again?"

"And this time," added Koris, "we may have destroyed our people for good."

Her head was pounding by now. Shepard shut her eyes to will the pain away, which she failed miserably.

"Our predecessors underestimated the threat," said Gerrel. "They gave the geth time to mobilize."

Koris snorted. "Whereas you chose to attack the geth rather than consider negotiation."

"Couldn't you have picked a better time to invade?" Shepard seethed through her teeth. "Say, AFTER we're done with the Reapers?"

"Actually," said Koris, "our timing may have been premature."

Gerrel added, "We'd driven the geth back to the home system when this signal began broadcasting to all geth ships." His omni-tool lit up, and a holographic image of an unique shape object hovered above the map in the center of the table.

Shepard could recognize that thing in her sleep. "The Reapers."

The war veteran nodded. "Under Reaper control, the geth are significantly more effective. Our fleet is pinned in the home system. If we're going to win, we're-"

"Win?" Koris interrupted. "You insisted on involving the civilian ships, Admiral Gerrel! We need to retreat or we'll lose the liveships!"

The urge of kicking them all off the Normandy was mounting. But civilians were involved. Shepard ignored her irritation and asked, "Where's the signal coming from?"

"Here. A geth dreadnought," said Gerrel. "It can outgun anything we've got, and it's heavily defended."

The solution to their problem was obvious. Shepard knew what the quarians really wanted: Her ship.

For the galaxy, for Earth, for Anderson. Shepard suppressed a heavy sigh and proposed what the admirals had been waiting to hear, "The Normandy's stealth drive can get us in undetected. I could board, then disable the Reaper command signal."

Xen nodded. "Yes. Cutting off the signal should throw the geth into complete disarray."

"And while they're confused," said Shepard, "you get to a mass relay and retreat."

"Good." Koris seemed pleased. "Our civilian ships have seen too much fighting already. Are you certain you can disable the signal?"

 _Isn't that why you're here?_ Shepard's lips pressed thin. "No. But what choice do we have?"

"It's hell of a risk, Commander," said Gerrel. "But if you can pull it off..."

Shepard waved a hand. She'd rather fight an army of geth than to deal with a room full of politicians. "Just be ready, Admiral."

* * *

"I'm glad you're here," said Tali after the rest of the Admiralty Board had retreated from the war room. "I know you've had your own troubles."

"Who doesn't nowadays?" muttered Shepard wearily.

"I'm sorry about Earth. We've got the largest fleet in the galaxy. If you can help us, we'll hit the Reapers with everything we've got. Or... however much is left from this stupid war."

Shepard studied the old friend she hadn't seen for almost a year – or rather, studied the mask of hers. With their faces concealed, quarians were hard to read. But Shepard could always tell from Tali'zorah's voice. Right now, her tone was unusually quiet and drained.

"You've always wanted a home," said Shepard. "I thought you'd support the invasion."

"No. After talking to Legion, I thought maybe there was a chance for peace."

"So why help them?"

"I'm an admiral," said Tali with a sigh. "People look to me for guidance. Public disagreement would divide the fleet."

"You sound like a politician, Tali," Shepard commented. The girl Shepard had once rescued in the dark alley was now all grown up.

"We could lose the entire fleet."

"I'll get your people out safely."

"Thanks, Aerin. I couldn't do this without you." Tali paused, then added with a shake of her head, "I feel like I'm bluffing. Trying to convince them that the admiral's daughter knows what she's doing."

"Not the admiral's daughter. The admiral."

"The admiral." Tali let out a long sigh. "Seventeen million lives are riding on me... I don't know if I can save them."

"You're doing everything you can. If the fleet falls, it won't be because of you."

"I helped my father, and... Xen's ideas, the new tech that made an invasion too good to pass up? That's based on my father's work. If they die because of me... if... if I don't..."

The weight of the world on her shoulders was crushing the young quarian. It's the same weight Shepard had been bearing day in and out for the past three years.

"Even if we defeat the geth," said Shepard, delivering a dose of reality, "you will lose more ships, Tali. You need to be ready for that."

"My father once told me that commanders mourn losses, not people. He didn't think he could make the big decisions, the ones affecting the whole fleet, unless he put people at a distance. I don't think I can do that. Maybe I'm not meant to be an admiral."

 _Corporal Jenkins, Chief Williams, Doctor Solus..._ Knowing how much Tali admired her father, Shepard kept her opinion to herself. "They need you here."

"I know. And at least now, I can push back against the worst ideas. That's why I accepted the position... And because of you."

"Me?"

"When they offered me this position, I asked myself what you'd do. I thought you'd take the chance to make things better."

Shepard didn't have the heart to tell Tali the truth. If the brass offered Shepard a spot in their elite group, she'd have run the other way. She's a soldier, not a goddamn politician.

Tali shrugged. "That probably sounds stupid. It's just... I know I'm not really qualified for this..."

"You're doing fine, Tali," said Shepard, putting a comforting hand on the young woman's shoulder. "Get some rest while you can. We're gonna go kick some metal assess."

"What's it that phrase Vakarian used to say...?"

"Just like old times."

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, Main Battery

"Of course the geth would figure into this war somehow," said Garrus as he assembled his spotless sniper rifle back into one piece.

Standing next to her turian twin, Shepard snorted at the comment as she cleaned her own gun. "Because Reapers weren't enough."

"You know, Shepard, looking back, I'd say we didn't ask too much from you. All we wanted was a primarch."

"Any word from the primarch?"

"Yes. He wanted my advice on the fleet strength when the Crucible is ready. The krogan are on Palaven in force, but they're just slowing the Reapers down, not stopping them. I'm not sure if it's going to be enough."

Shepard frowned, wiping down her disassembled rifle meticulously. "What did you tell him?"

"I said, at some point, we're going to have to decide if our fleet keep defending Palaven, or we go on the offensive."

"Can't do both?"

"Not with the beating we're taking."

"It's a tough call."

"What would you do?"

Shepard started to reassemble her gun, taking a moment to consider the question. "I'd go on the offensive. The longer this lasts, the higher the chance we're gonna lose everything."

Garrus shook his head. "Still can't get used to people asking me things like that. All the questions, and everyone of them with a million lives riding on the answer."

"You do the best you can with what you know. It's no difference from your days at the C-Sec."

"I told you once that I wasn't a very good turian, Shepard. I never could follow bad orders. And now I'm the one giving orders. Someone's dying at the end of every sentence."

"And someone's making it out alive, too."

"You're right. Though I'm starting to understand why the galaxy needs cold-hearted dictator every now and then."

"They get things done?"

"They don't give a damn about the consequences. Supposed that's what it's going to take, Shepard, the ruthless calculus of war. Ten billion people over here die, so twenty billion over there can live. Are we up for that?" Her twin asked, looking straight into her eyes. "Are you?"

"If all life in the galaxy vanishes because we hesitate, what choice do we have?" said Shepard as she snapped the last piece of the rifle back in its place. "The Reapers aren't about to sit down and sign a peace treaty, Vakarian. We're facing extinction."

Garrus sighed. "This is gonna be a rough war."

* * *

Location: SSV Normandy SR-2, Bridge

"We're approaching the quarian home system," said Joker. "ETA to Rannoch: five minutes."

"I have detected several hundred unique ship signatures engaged in active combat," EDI reported.

"A big ol' shitstorm, Commander," said the pilot. "You sure you want to do this?"

 _No, I don't._ "Take us in, Joker," said Shepard.

"You just love to make my life hell, don't you, Shepard?"

"Admit it," said Shepard, "you love a good challenge."

"What can I say? Let's do this." The pilot flexed his fingers before his hands started to move on the console at a surprising speed. "Stealth drive engaged. Only way they'll detect us is if you all start singing the Russian national anthem."

The Normandy zoomed and landed right in the middle of an intense battle zone. Joker maneuvered the ship nimbly to avoid a burning vessel. Dodging fire and ships simultaneously, the Normandy headed to the dreadnought, undetected by either side.

Having full trust on her pilot's skill, Shepard didn't even bat an eye and left the bridge. The Normandy was in good hands as long as Jeff Moreau was on his leather pilot seat. Now, she had to do her part.

"Boarding team," Shepard called through her radio, "be ready in five."

"Ah, there you are," said Admiral Xen, approaching.

 _What now?_ "Anything more surprises I should be aware of?"

"There is." The admiral handed Shepard an unique looking gun. "Here. Tell me what you think of my new prototype. Arc pistol."

Shepard had to raise an eyebrow at the new toy. "Looks impressive."

"It is," said Xen. "On contact, it transmits an energy pulse that disrupts geth programming and shields."

"Perfect for a ship full of geth."

"I need feedback from your field testing. So do come back in one piece, Commander. Kee'lah selai."

* * *

A/N: "Just once I'd like to ask someone for help and hear them say, 'Sure, let's go. Right now. No strings attached.'" – Commander Shepard.

Thanks for reading!

Contact info: gmail – pinoko19, tumblr – pinoko-k.


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